KCRag Forum

earthling wrote: ↑Tue May 12, 2020 5:57 am ^MO, Iowa and Minnesota all passed up Florida in death rate recently despite FL starting lockdown later and releasing sooner. Sort by Deaths/Million

MN made an effort with contact tracing in April but infections took off in May. Masks are working for several countries that have mandated them (Austria, Czechia, Slovakia). Maybe time to make them a minimum requirement in US but many 'freedom protesters' will unlikely comply.

Meat packing plants.

^Seems to be the major reason.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccar ... 9dbfc1ea7a

Republicans to Trump: Wear a mask
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/1 ... rus-251239

My nephew in STL tested positive for antibodies. He had 'pneumonia' in early Jan so they wonder if it has been in STL that long, or he acquired COVID later with no new symptoms. Others on his wife's side also tested positive. No travel outside country within her family in last year. My sister, his mom, is waiting for her antibody test. She had nothing more than cold like symptoms.

Anyone else do antibody test?

Where can you get antibody testing?

My family had a round of flu like symptoms with lots of coughing in late Feb that tested negative for flu strains. Asked about the possibility of Corona, but was told they would/could not test.

I would want multiple positive antibody tests before I felt any kind of certainty of the results.

Two of my sisters were able to get via Doctor. Unfortunately it's not conclusive that having antibodies can prevent from getting again. And they may last only months to a year.

One positive antibody result isn't even indicative of having positive anitbodies, let alone immunity, depending on the test.

Jobless claims climb another 3 million amid coronavirus shutdowns
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-jo ... =home-page

The numbers: Nearly 3 million people applied for unemployment compensation last week after losing their jobs in the coronavirus crisis, but a historic wave of layoffs is likely to continue to abate as states take the first halting steps toward reopening their economies.

Initial jobless claims increased by 2.98 million in the week of May 3 to May 9, marking the eighth week in a row in which they’ve risen by about 3 million or more.

More than 36 million people have applied for jobless benefits since the pandemic struck two months ago, including self-employed workers and independent contractors made eligible for the very first time under a federal relief program.

The first wave of losses were due to natural disaster, now economists say a second wave of layoffs will likely occur due to snow ball effect of poor economy, mainly office jobs. Some claim it will be offset by jobs returning as states open up but a big chunk of those will be service industry. Scenario 2.2 seems more and more likely where 30%-70% of jobs are returned within end of year but then a decline may start again, or flat for quite a while, maybe for years. Seems the chances are getting higher that it could take well over 10+ years to get job numbers back to Feb 2020. Maybe much longer than 10 years.

The April 30 number below is the losses offset by some job gains returning last week of April. There is another 5-10M+ that analysts think have not reported jobless claims yet, not represented here. But more jobs will return as/if states open up.

DOES VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY REALLY INCREASE RISK OF DEATH FROM COVID-19?

According to Shapses, while current evidence does not provide definitive answers, it would not be surprising if vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency played a role in COVID-19 mortality. "There is ample evidence that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased susceptibility to infection so it makes sense that when persons are infected with COVID-19 and have [very low levels of vitamin D,] they would be at higher risk of fatality due to an inability to fight the infection," she said.

"It turns out that regardless of geographic location, there is a significant amount of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency across the planet, with some estimates as high as 70 percent," Troen said. "And this is even in sunny locations. I used to be down at the University of Miami and we did one study which showed that even in that sunny location, you could have significant incidence of deficiency and insufficiency."

https://www.newsweek.com/vitamin-d-defi ... 19-1504187

That makes sense in terms of at risk populations as a contributing factor

The obese are apparently at a greater risk, and in the big picture someone who is obese likely isn't spending as much time outside as someone who is fit

The elderly are less likely to be obese, many elderly drop in weight, but lack of time outside in nursing homes would mean less vitamin D is produced

The disease apparently hits black populations at a greater rate. There's a known genetic difference where white people produce more vitamin D naturally

flyingember wrote: ↑Fri May 15, 2020 8:26 am
The disease apparently hits black populations at a greater rate. There's a known genetic difference where white people produce more vitamin D naturally

With dark skin, need longer exposure to sunlight to get enough D. One report claims light skin people only need about 15 minutes of direct sunlight per day to prevent deficiency, dark skin might need more than an hour.

Yale Medicine on Vitamin D...
https://www.yalemedicine.org/stories/vi ... -debunked/

My company just announced permanently eliminating working at HQ finding work at home more efficient and cost effective. This will eliminate thousands of sq. ft. of commercial real estate in multiple cities and have an impact on many surrounding businesses. They hope in return it will stimulate neighborhood services and shops while providing improved work/life balance.

Won't be surprising if WFH (work from home) becomes more broadly permanent even beyond COVID (discussed earlier). Could severely hurt the office industry especially as tools/tech get better and make it even more cost efficient. Stocks for remote working tech are pumped up and more of the tech industry will probably come up with new tools in this space. Could see SmartTV's/streaming devices integrate with PC/mobile meeting place tools. On the flip side, occasional workplace pow wows may be a way to offset everyone not together, not necessarily in an office setting.

Offices emptying will create new opportunity for conversions into apartments. And instead of being an empty building for decades, they will be well maintained properties and should convert without as much trouble.

earthling wrote: ↑Fri May 15, 2020 8:30 am

flyingember wrote: ↑Fri May 15, 2020 8:26 am
The disease apparently hits black populations at a greater rate. There's a known genetic difference where white people produce more vitamin D naturally

With dark skin, need longer exposure to sunlight to get enough D. One report claims light skin people only need about 15 minutes of direct sunlight per day to prevent deficiency, dark skin might need more than an hour.

Yale Medicine on Vitamin D...
https://www.yalemedicine.org/stories/vi ... -debunked/

Black and Hispanic populations are being hit harder because they are less wealthy, disproportionately employed in "essential" roles that can't be done remotely, and have worse access to health care, not because dark skin makes it take longer to get vitamin D. This is a political and socioeconomic issue, not a biological one.

^I didn't directly say that was the reason for COVID deaths, just that it takes longer in sun for darker skin to get Vitamin D. Is the way the conversation progressed. Vitamin D deficiency as a factor for COVID deaths was a question, not a statement of fact. Experts are saying it seems plausible it could be one of many factors, not me.

phuqueue wrote: ↑Fri May 15, 2020 2:30 pm Black and Hispanic populations are being hit harder because they are less wealthy, disproportionately employed in "essential" roles that can't be done remotely, and have worse access to health care, not because dark skin makes it take longer to get vitamin D. This is a political and socioeconomic issue, not a biological one.

Health care outcomes are influenced by political and socioeconomic issues when it comes to death rates. Biology is not.

Biology is a very real concern when it comes to medicine. For example, https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpa ... -race-744/

Why do some people become asymptomic carriers and survive, some never show symptoms and die and others end up on a ventilator?
Ignoring biology ignores part of the puzzle.