The Daily Dose is a collection of my current posts as personal thoughts, tidbits, musings and more for all things South Bay. Get your daily dose right here.
August 8, 2020
Russia claims that it’s about to become the first country to approve a Covid-19 vaccine, with mass vaccinations planned as early as October using shots that have yet to complete clinical trials — a headlong rush that scientists worldwide warn could backfire. The experimental Covid-19 shots began testing in humans with a few dozen people less than 2 months ago, and there’s no published scientific evidence yet backing Russian’s late entry in the global vaccine race
August 8, 2020
If you have enjoyed dining outside in a Riviera Village parklet, the Riviera Village Association sure would appreciate your donation to support the continuation of the parklets program. If you prefer to stay home but appreciate the value parklets bring to the local economy, then please lend your support.
A GoFundMe page has been created to collect donations that will aid in continuing and expanding the Riviera Village parklets program to those businesses that have applied for one.The RVA Business Improvement District (BID), with the help of BeachLife, has invested substantially to build and beautify your safe outdoor dining experience. We need some help finishing the job.
August 7, 2020
WHAT TO DO IF YOU TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19
EXPOSURE DEFINED: There has been some confusion around what it means to have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. The guidance provided by the Department of Public Health defines exposure as:
• As an individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for more than 15 minutes; or
• An individual with unprotected contact with an infected person’s body fluids (i.e., being coughed or sneezing on); or
• An individual who shared utensils or saliva with an infected person; or
• An individual who provided care for an infected person without wearing appropriate protective equipment
August 7, 2020
Africa’s confirmed coronavirus cases have surpassed 1 million, but global health experts say the true toll is likely several times higher, reflecting the gaping lack of testing for the continent’s 1 billion people. The virus has spread beyond major cities and into distant remote areas where few health resources exist and reaching care could take days
August 6, 2020
The US, which accounts for less than 5% of the world population, leads all other countries in coronavirus infections and deaths. America represents more than 22% of global coronavirus deaths, and more than 25% of infections, as of Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University data
August 5, 2020
The number of virus deaths around the world passed 700,000 today and more than 18.5 million people have reportedly been sickened by Covid-19. Almost twice as many countries have reported a significant rise in new cases over the past 2 weeks as have reported significant declines. The coronavirus has resurfaced in many
places that had seemed to contain it, including Hong Kong, Vietnam, Australia, Spain, Germany, and Norway. While lockdowns have helped slow the spread of Covid-19, many countries are struggling to keep the disease in check as they attempt to reopen
August 4, 2020
Lockdowns and supply-chain disruptions caused by the coronavirus crisis are threatening programs against tuberculosis, H.I.V., and malaria, according to health officials, who added that tuberculosis kills 1.5 million people each year. Yet now, the coronavirus pandemic is consuming global health resources and these neglected adversaries are making a comeback. The lockdowns, particularly across parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, have raised insurmountable barriers to patients who must travel to obtain diagnoses or drugs, according to interviews with more than 2 dozen public health officials, doctors, and patients worldwide. Fear of the coronavirus and the shuttering of clinics have also kept many patients suffering from H.I.V., TB, and malaria away and restrictions on air and sea travel have severely limited medication access which may lead to drug resistance, already a formidable problem in many countries
August 3, 2020
July was the worst month of the coronavirus pandemic worldwide and also saw approximately as many cases as the first 6 months of the crisis, according to the WHO. And the numbers may be far below reality — aninvestigation into leaked Iranian government records found almost 42,000 deaths, or nearly triple those
reported by Tehran’s Health Ministry. Meanwhile, officials in the US — where deaths are approaching 155,000 — say the virus is now widespread not only in cities, but in rural areas, and that the outbreak has entered “a new phase”
August 2, 2020
A recently published article in Nature Reviews has put forth a possibility that a large percentage of the population appears to have immune cells that are able to recognize parts of the Covid-19 virus, and that may possibly be giving them a head start in fighting off infection which means that some people may have some
unknown degree of protection. Immunology researchers found that about half of the people they studied have some T cell reactivity — T cells, like antibodies, are created by the body after an infection to help with future infections from the same invader. The assumption is that this T-cell recognition of parts of the Covid-19 virus may come from past exposure to 1 of the 4 know circulating coronaviruses that cause the common cold in millions of people every year. But many questions remain — including whether this recognition to parts of SARSCoV-2 by T cells helps or hurts
August 1, 2020
To treat Covid-19 patients, scientists are experimenting with convalescent plasma, a treatment first used in the 19th century for diphtheria, measles, mumps, tetanus, smallpox, and polio, before the vaccines came out. The treatment involves harvesting antibody-rich plasma from the blood of recovered Covid-19 patients to treat current sick patients. So far, the effort appears to be yielding signs of promise — data from 5,000 patients with severe cases of Covid-19 suggest the treatment is safe and findings from an uncompleted trial in China suggest that critically ill elderly and patients of all ages with moderate illness might benefit the most from the treatment. Another study aggregated the findings of the China trial and 10 other studies that documented convalescent plasma’s use in 525 hospitalized Covid-19 patients and those who received the experimental treatment were 57% less likely to die. Findings expected to be released in the coming weeks will begin to show if similar results are borne out in American Covid-19 patients
July 31, 2020
• Global social distancing rules targeting coronavirus have pushed influenza infection rates to a record low, early figures show, signaling that the measures are having an unprecedented impact on other communicable diseases. In China, reports of diseases including mumps, measles, and some sexually transmitted diseases, have declined significantly, though influenza cases have seen the sharpest drop-off of over 90%, from an average of 290,000 cases a month to 23,000. Canada’s flu surveillance system also reported exceptionally low levels of influenza as did other countries that report weekly flu statistics including the UK and Australia. In its most recent weekly report, South Korea reported a 83% decrease in cases from a year earlier. The WHO estimates there are some 3-5 million severe cases and up to 500,000 deaths annually linked to seasonal influenza globally. Experts did add that there is concern that the unprecedented drop in cases could have a negative impact on immunity levels in following seasons
July 30, 2020
Muslim pilgrims, wearing masks and moving in small groups after days spent in isolation, began arriving at Islam’s holiest site in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday for the start of a historically unique and scaled-down haji experience reshaped by the Covid-19 pandemic. The haji is one of Islam’s most important requirements, performed at least once in a lifetime and is intended to bring about greater humility and unity among Muslims. But for the first time in Saudi history, the government barred Muslims from entering from abroad to limit exposure to coronavirus. Instead, as few as 1,000 people already residing in Saudi Arabia were selected including foreign residents from 160 different nationalities that would normally be represented at the haji which usually draws 2.5 million from around the world
July 30, 2020
Waterfront Education is currently taking volunteers for the summer and fall to help on the water with the youngest explorers! This includes kayaking, sailing, fishing and more!
They are looking volunteers ages 16+. If you or someone you know are interested in volunteering with Waterfront education, please contact them at learn@waterfronteducation.org or call (310) 684-3577.
July 29, 2020
CDC recommendations have changed regarding when people can leave isolation after having Covid-19: 1) 10 days after your symptoms start; 2) You haven’t had a fever for at least 24 hours without the use of feverreducing medication; 3) Your symptoms have improved. If you have never had symptoms but tested positive for the virus, the CDC says you can end isolation 10 days after you test positive. However, if someone has had a severe form of Covid-19, they may need to be isolated for 20 days. Previously, the CDC had required 2 negative diagnostic tests for the virus taken 24 hours apart and a 14-day isolation
July 28, 2020
Much of the world is now coping with a coronavirus resurgence. The number of new daily cases has risen more than 20% in both Europe and Canada over the past week, and it’s up about 40% in Australia and Japan. Hong Kong reported 145 cases yesterday, its highest 1-day count yet and the sixth straight day of more than 100 new cases. Experts said that as countries take steps toward more normal functioning — opening schools, workplaces, and restaurants, for instance — they will often spark new outbreaks, which in turn will require more tests, quarantines, and even limited lockdowns