August 31, 2020

FROM THE MARSHALL NEWS MESSENGER

For the first time in months, Harrison County’s active COVID-19 case count has dropped below the crucial 20 case marker, according to Harrison County Judge Chad Sims on Saturday…The new number is the lowest active case count in months, bringing Harrison County under the crucial 20 active case count number that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott outlined in his mask mandate earlier this summer…In order to opt out Gov. Greg Abbott’s mask mandate, Texas counties need to have 20 or fewer active COVID-19 cases for a specified time, depending on population, but Sims said he isn’t asking the state to drop the order for Harrison County yet.

(J. Harris: Thank you, Judge Sims, for your judgment, caution and good sense).
Two metres or one: what is the evidence for physical distancing in covid-19?
Key messages
Current rules on safe physical distancing are based on outdated science

Distribution of viral particles is affected by numerous factors, including air flow

Evidence suggests SARS-CoV-2 may travel more than 2 m through activities such as coughing and shouting

Rules on distancing should reflect the multiple factors that affect risk, including ventilation, occupancy, and exposure time

What A Nasal Spray Vaccine Against COVID-19 Might Do Even Better Than A Shot
(J. Harris: It’s not ready yet, but it makes good sense. They need a little time to play with this vaccine).
The University of Arizona says it caught a dorm’s COVID-19 outbreak before it started. Its secret weapon: Poop.
(J. Harris: Poop the Magic Dragon diagnoses  COVID. Clever, unobtrusive investigation helps prevent college epidemic, I hope). 

Why should you never trust a train? They have loco motives.

Why was the baby ant confused? Because all his uncles were ants!

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August 28, 2020

James Harris	Aug 28, 2020, 12:27 PM (21 hours ago)
to Ron

FROM MNM: Harrison County Judge Chad Sims on Thursday announced 13 new recoveries and just a single new case of the novel coronavirus in his county.

There have been 789 positive cases in county residents and 734 of those residents are considered recovered. The county has had 35 COVID-19 deaths. Active cases in the county were at 20. On Thursday, there were nine new cases and only one reported in Harrison County.

FROM HOPKINS:

1. MOTORCYCLE RALLY The annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally drew hundreds of thousands of bikers from across the US to a small town in South Dakota for a 10-day festival. Health officials have identified at least 103 cases of COVID-19 across at least 8 states that are believed to be connected with the rally, and that number is expected to grow in the coming weeks. Held August 7-16, the rally drew approximately 460,000 vehicles to the small town of Sturgis, which has a population of 7,000—71 times smaller than its occupancy during the rally. Multiple reports indicate that social distancing and other protective measures, including mask use, were not widely enforced or practiced by the attendees. South Dakota health officials are conducting contact tracing operations to the extent possible, and they have already identified several exposures at the rally, including cases detected among bartenders, tattoo artists, and rally attendees.Given the size of the event, contact tracing is a difficult task, and health officials have asked attendees to monitor their symptoms for 14 days. According to cell phone geo-location data, more than 61% of US counties have been visited by someone who attended the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which illustrates the potential for widespread geographic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 resulting from the event. Like other large events or gatherings, it could be several weeks before any indication of increased transmission becomes evident. And because the participants dispersed across a wide geographic area (as opposed to remaining concentrated locally), it may be very difficult to identify associated clusters or outbreaks among the broader US epidemic. (J. Harris: Last night’s RNC mostly unmasked, unspaced spectacle likely will present eager trackers many new cases to follow and marvel  over).

2. The Coronavirus May Shut Down the Immune System’s Vital Classrooms (Science) At the top of the long list of uncertainties about COVID-19 is whether people who recover will develop durable immune responses to the coronavirus that causes it. A research team that has autopsied people who died from COVID-19 has now discovered they lack so-called germinal centers, classrooms in the spleen and lymph nodes in which immune cells learn to mount a long-lasting antibody response to a pathogen. Although the finding may not apply to people who have mild or asymptomatic coronavirus infections, it may help explain COVID-19 progression in the sickest cases and provide important insights to vaccine developers.(J. Harris: The article in Sciernce is short and important but somewhat hard to understand. I t also implies that some of the finding recently will make vaccines effective vaccines easier to develop).

FROM JAMA:

1. Effect of Remdesivir vs Standard Care on Clinical Status at 11 Days in Patients With Moderate COVID-19(J. Harris:  A recent study comparing 5 days vs 10 days of Remdesivir to 11 days of standard care without the antibiotic showed little or now benefit of the medication in MODERATE COVID- 19)
Tracking Coronavirus Cases at U.S. Colleges and Universities

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Texas have dropped by 20 percent in the last week, while deaths continue to average close to 200 a day

Having more money doesn’t make you happier. I have 50 million
dollars but I’m just as happy as when I had 48 million.
~ Arnold Schwarzenegger.

August 26, 2020

Hallsville and Longview have a few COVID cases in their schools. I have no local reports. Harrison County reported 2 new cases yesterday.

FROM JOHNS HOPKINS1. Oleandrin dangers: Toxicology Organization’s joint statement concerning proposals for the use as a potential treatment for COVID-19

2. First Covid-19 Reinfection Documented in Hong Kong, Researchers Say (STAT News) Researchers in Hong Kong on Monday reported what appears to be the first confirmed case of Covid-19 reinfection, a 33-year-old man who was first infected by SARS-CoV-2 in late March and then, four and a half months later, seemingly contracted the virus again while traveling in Europe. The case raises questions about the durability of immune protection from the coronavirus. But it was also met with caution by other scientists, who questioned the extent to which the case pointed to broader concerns about reinfection.

3. Not just antibodies: B cells and T cells mediate immunity to COVID-19 (Nature) Recent reports that antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 are not maintained in the serum following recovery from the virus have caused alarm. However, the absence of specific antibodies in the serum does not necessarily mean an absence of immune memory. Here, we discuss our current understanding of the relative contribution of B cells and T cells to immunity to SARS-CoV-2 and the implications for the development of effective treatments and vaccines for COVID19.    (J. Harris: I little more complicated that our “Vaccine 101 of Aug. 25 but a nice article).

Rural Hospitals Are Sinking Under COVID-19 Financial Pressures ( J. Harris: Harrison and Gregg Counties are fortunate to have the Christus organization involved in our communities as well as Smith County. Christus’ not for profit mission gives them staying power during hard times and times when Medicaid payments are inadequate or not properly distributed. I used to envy Titus County because they had a well established City/County Hospital District (tax-supported) with a good record of providing local medical care. Unfortunately, Covid-19 is running rampant through the area poultry plant and the Mt. Pleasant community, and according to the article above, causing massive financial problems for the hospital and the community).

Genetic data show how a single superspreading event sent coronavirus across Massachusetts — and the nation
(J. Harris: Genetic studies of the virus reads like  a ”who done it” whose ending you already know but the detective work is engrossing).

GOOD PODCAST ABOUT RECENT COVID-19 MATTERS

CURRENT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT COVID
(J. Harris: Good practical questions and answers)
Good luck to everyone in the path of the storms, especially our friends in Houston. Most likely, my mailouts will become much less frequent. It was about time for that anyway.  Texas Department of Health Services (https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/additionaldata.aspx, Johns Hopkins, the CDC, NYT, Texas Tribune, Washington Post, and local newspapers remain the best current sources of information that I have found. I anticipate loss of power and no internet. Stay well, everyone. Fortunately, we don’t need electricity to pray for each other. Try and maintain distance and masks. 

What did the teacher do with the student’s report on cheese? She grated it.

Did you know that Lawrence Welk had four daughters?  Anna 1, Anna 2, Anna 3, Anna 4

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August 25, 2020

VACCINE 101 (WITH THANKS TO NYT AND ARTICLE WRITTEN BY TWO DOCTORS WHO ARE VACCINE EXPERTS)( Adam Finn and Richard Malley

Dr. Finn and Dr. Malley are physicians specializing in infectious diseases and vaccinology.1. START HERE:  What is a vaccine, and how do vaccines work? (You might show this one to your children)
2. THEN GO HERE: Are We Looking for the Wrong Coronavirus Vaccines? “When does contagiousness peak in whom and why? And can vaccines modify any of that?
The best vaccines don’t just protect the inoculated from getting sick from a disease, they also protect everyone else from even contracting the pathogen that causes that disease…’
3. NOW WATCH THIS BASIC BUT WORTHWHILE  UTUBE: HOW VACCINES PROTECT
4. SUMMARY: “Given the communitywide benefits of accomplishing that, especially in a pandemic, current vaccine-development efforts should prioritize finding vaccines that limit the transmission of SARS-CoV-2.” (J. Harris So, the best vaccine is one that will prevent an exposed patient from getting the disease and also render any viruses he may be carrying less capable of infecting other people. Remember, he was vaccinated, and he didn’t get sick; but he was exposed and may well be carrying and shedding and spreading the virus — but our new and ideal vaccine has castrated the virus and it won’t make other people sick either).
5. Eight vaccine candidates are undergoing large-scale efficacy tests, so-called Phase 3 trials, and results are expected by the end of this year or early 2021.

(J. Harris: Harrison County is about the same for the last three weeks, despite local testing and schools starting. Good. If we are able to keep the schools open, the winter might not be so bad. Get your FLU shot).
COVID-19 Is Transmitted Through Aerosols. We Have Enough Evidence, Now It Is Time to Act (J. Harris: A certain Norweigan housekeeper/cook  found this; an aerosol is like smoke in a room and it can be breathed and rebreathed for a prolonged period. Outdoors is safer.)

Somebody stole all my lamps. I couldn’t be more de-lighted!

What’s the best way to carve wood?    Whittle by whittle.

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August 24, 2020

NEW COVID CASES: 

Harrison County had 4 on Friday and none on Sunday.

Gregg County had 15 on Fri. and 19 on Sat.

Both counties had 2 new cases each on Sunday.

Tomorrow we’ll have Vaccine 101 

How a cardiologist may have saved the college football season
The study, conducted in Germany and composed of middle-aged adults, found that 78 percent of the 100 participants had some cardiac abnormality. Ackerman said it’d be a “scientific foul” to infer that those findings are relevant for 18 to 24-year old athletes.

Most importantly, though, he said they shouldn’t use myocarditis as the reason to cancel college football now.

The Mayo Clinic cardiologist didn’t sugarcoat that myocarditis can be a serious issue. The inflammation of the heart, caused by viral infections, can ultimately be deadly in rare cases. Former Boston Celtics star Reggie Lewis, who collapsed during basketball practice, died at the age of 27 from myocarditis. Brian Hainline, the NCAA’s chief medical officer, said last week he was aware of 12 athletes suffering from myocarditis after COVID-19. It remains an issue that bears close watching within college athletics going forward.

(J. Harris: Although I haven’t seen any articles about cardiac involvement in very young athletes, any athlete who has had Covid should have a detailed cardiac evaluation before resuming sports or significant physical exercise programs, in my opinion).
SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in COVID-19 hotspots (From Lancet)
In light of these findings, any proposed approach to achieve herd immunity through natural infection is not only highly unethical, but also unachievable. With a large majority of the population being infection naive, virus circulation can quickly return to early pandemic dimensions in a second wave once measures are lifted. In addition, the geographical variability and the dynamic of weekly increasing seroprevalence rates during the early phase of the pandemic highlight that these studies are only snapshots in time and space, and reflect the circumstances of the period in which they were done. As we are still in the midst of an unprecedented global health crisis, such seroprevalence data will continue to be necessary for public health authorities to estimate exposure rates, especially in areas with little testing capacity for acute cases. If and when a vaccine is widely available, ongoing seroprevalence studies will be able to provide information about the extent and duration of vaccine-induced herd immunity.

Are New Yorkers Wearing Masks? Here’s What We Found in Each Borough
But in almost every place, more men than women were walking around unmasked — usually a lot more: At some corners, the gender gap approached 25 percentage points…Men were also considerably more likely than women to be wearing their masks in a kinda-sorta way — nostrils peeking over, mask under chin, mask dangling from one ear strap…the numbers boiled down to this: Nearly one in three men were walking around unmasked, while only about one in six women were.(J. Harris: Masks are worn more in ethnic neighborhoods, especially Asian it appears to me)

     FYI – From St John’s Hopkins Hospital….via Dallas and other editing including a couple of new ideas:  

 This virus is not a living organism.  It is a protein molecule (RNA or DNA) covered by a protective layer of lipid (fat), which, when absorbed by the cells of the eyes or nose.(It’s your body’s reaction to invasion by this strange virus that makes you sick) 

* Since the virus is not a living organism, but is a protein molecule, it cannot be killed.  It has to decay on its own. The disintegration time depends on the temperature, humidity and type of material where it lies. The virus is very fragile; the only thing that protects it is a thin outer layer of fat and that is the reason why soap or detergent is the best weapon.  The foam CUTS THE FAT (that is why you have to scrub for 20 seconds or more, to create lots of foam). By dissolving the fat layer, the protein molecule disperses and breaks down. 

 * HEAT melts fat; this is why it is necessary to use water above 77 degrees for hand washing, laundry and cleaning surfaces. In addition, hot water makes more foam, making it more effective. 

 * Alcohol or any mixture with alcohol over 65% DISSOLVES ALL FAT, especially the external lipid layer of the virus.

 * Any solution with 1 part bleach and 5 parts water directly dissolves the protein, breaking it down from the inside.(J. Harris: I don’t know about this, except don’t drink bleach, of course). 

* The virus molecules remain very stable at colder temperatures, including air conditioning in houses and cars. They also need moisture and darkness to stay stable. Therefore, dehumidified, dry, warm, and bright environments will degrade the virus faster.

 * UV LIGHT on any object that may contain the virus breaks down the protein.  Be careful, it also breaks down collagen (which is protein) in the skin. 

 * The virus CANNOT penetrate healthy skin. 

 * Vinegar is NOT useful because it does not break down the protective layer of fat. 

 * NO SPIRITS, NOR VODKA, serve. The strongest vodka is only 40% alcohol, and you need a minimum of 65%. 

 * LISTERINE  is 65% alcohol. 

 * The more confined the space, the higher the concentration of the virus there can be. The more open or naturally ventilated, the more the virus concentration is diluted and somewhat less dangerous. 

 * You have to wash your hands before and after touching any commonly used surfaces such as : mucosa (mouth area), food, locks, knobs, switches, remotes, cell phones, watches, computers, desks, etc. and don’t forget when you use the bathroom. 

* You have to MOISTURIZE YOUR HANDS due to frequent washing.  Dry hands have cracks and the molecules can hide in the micro-cracks The thicker the moisturizer, the better. 

 * Also keep your NAILS SHORT so that the virus does not hide there.

  I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down!

The best cure for seasickness is to sit under a tree.
~ Spike Milligan

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August 21, 2020

TEXAS:

(J. Harris: We are still spreading Covis more dangerously than most states)LOCALLY, HOWEVER, our current count of hospitalized patients on our EAST TEXAS trauma area is LESS THAN IT HAS BEEN IN OVER A MONTH.
Long-Haulers Are Redefining COVID-19
(J. Harris: Ed Yong, the author of the article above, and “The Atlantic” are providing fabulous information about COVID as well as other subjects. During the pandemic, this magazine has provided as good or better information than any other that I’ve seen and is worth a subscription.  Yong’s body of work about COVID should earn him a Pulitzer Prize, in my opinion).

FROM JOHNS HOPKINS:1. Pediatric SARS-CoV-2: Clinical Presentation, Infectivity, and Immune Responses (Journal of Pediatrics) Researchers present findings from the largest pediatric COVID-19 biospecimen repository to date, describing viral load, ACE2 expression, and antibody responses as they relate to children with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection and MIS-C. Researchers found that children can carry high levels of virus in their upper airways, particularly early in an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, yet they display relatively mild or no symptoms. However, there was no age correlation with viral load, indicating that infants through young adults can carry equally high levels of virus.
2. How To Tell A Real COVID-19 Contact Tracer’s Call From A Scammer’s (NPR) State officials and federal agencies warn there’s a new phone scam circulating: Callers posing as COVID-19 contact tracers are trying to pry credit card or bank account information from unsuspecting victims. The grifters apparently are taking advantage of a genuine public health intervention that is crucial to stopping the spread of the novel coronavirus: contact tracing.
Former Secretary of State James Baker III battling COVID-19 with wife at Houston home
Covid-19 Is Creating a Wave of Heart DiseaseAug. 17, 2020 (J. Harris: good quick summary with references to several heart studies. Anyone who wishes they could just go ahead and get COVID and get it over with needs to read this).

A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kickboxing.
~ Emo Philips.

+ Did you hear about the cross-eyed teacher who lost her job because she couldn’t control her pupils?    

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August 20, 2020

The MISD has reported 3 students with COVID, and there are 5 new cases in Harrison County including 1 in Hallsville Schools, and 1 in Harlton schools –according to the MNM.

Evaluation for SARS-CoV-2 in Breast Milk From 18 Infected Women
Although SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 1 milk sample from an infected woman, the viral culture for that sample was negative. These data suggest that SARS-CoV-2 RNA does not represent replication-competent virus and that breast milk may not be a source of infection for the infant. Furthermore, when control samples spiked with replication-competent SARS-CoV-2 virus were treated by Holder pasteurization, no replication-competent virus or viral RNA was detectable. These findings are reassuring given the known benefits of breastfeeding and human milk provided through milk banks. Limitations include the small sample size, nonrandom sample with possible selection bias, self-report of RT-PCR positivity, and self-collection of milk samples, some before the standard protocol was instituted.

Herd Immunity For COVID-19 Is Still A Terrible Idea
(J. Harris: I don’t know this writer, but most of his information seems reasonable. It’s an opinion piece with a good discussion of herd immunity. He stresses that for now 6 feet, Masks, and avoidance of crowds is about all the defense we have until the vaccines came out which should help).

From Johns Hopkins:

1. Effects of a major deletion in the SARS-CoV-2 genome on the severity of infection and the inflammatory response: an observational cohort study (Lancet)
Between Jan 22 and March 21, 2020, 278 patients with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were screened for the ∆382 deletion and 131 were enrolled onto the study, of whom 92 (70%) were infected with the wild-type virus, ten (8%) had a mix of wild-type and ∆382-variant viruses, and 29 (22%) had only the ∆382 variant. The development of hypoxia requiring supplemental oxygen was less frequent in the ∆382 variant group (0 [0%] of 29 patients) than in the wild-type only group (26 [28%] of 92; absolute difference 28% [95% CI 14–28]). After adjusting for age and presence of comorbidities, infection with the ∆382 variant only was associated with lower odds of developing hypoxia requiring supplemental oxygen (adjusted odds ratio 0·07 [95% CI 0·00–0·48]) compared with infection with wild-type virus only.

(J. Harris: A COVID genetic mutation was noted that caused less severe illness than the original. There may be therapeutic uses for this strain. Virologists have long noted that viruses mutate and not infrequently produce a milder disease, as in the last influenza of 1918 which “calmed down” some as time passed).  

Could the Flu Shot Offer Protection Against Covid-19?
(J. Harris: Another opinion piece quoting a soon to be published study from Hopkins but I include it because it will make the reader doubly aware of the need for and value of flu shots as well as stressing the importance of Masks for flu prevention as well as for protection from COVID).

After the game, the King and the pawn go into the same box.~ Italian proverb
There was a kidnapping at school yesterday. Don’t worry, though – he woke up!

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