Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[nealeffendi]

Hi, Interest, not sure what your desire (or Not) to re elect Trump has to do with the bug. One only has to search four articles from independent sources to find examples of various government agencies instructing doctors to list anybody who test positive at death to be counted as a corona death. Just search say for the Florida motercyclist who was killed in a crash or the 6 gunshot victims in Washington's state who were also counted.
The bug doesn't scare me (I am lucky to only get little/no symptoms every flu season) but the overkill response to a bug where the majority of those who die are already at deaths door concerns me. BTW the average age of the bugs victims in Canada is 82, the US late 70s, Italy 78 etc. Even here in Egypt nearly every death below 70 had underlying health issues and most deaths were old folk (the oldest was 106).
Oh the pandemic is nearly over here, so much for Australia's failed lockdown.

[autocoupler]

This is interesting. The American Association of Physicians and Surgeons are taking court action against the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Health & Human Services to have Hyroxychloroquine released to the public for early treatment of Covid. It makes one wonder why any Federal agency would seek to not make a cheap drug like this available, particularly as it's championed by their President Trump?

Apparently, the drug is also well thought of by some here in Australia, an elderly member of our family has already been given access to this drug by their Doctor, who stated at the first sign of illness they were to take it.

[JeffH]

That looks a lot like "cherry picked" data. For example Australia would be a red line at 1.3% and New Zealand red at 1.4%, quite different to the apparent trend shown on that diagram.
Casts suspicion on the claim of effectiveness of Hyroxychloroquine.
Raw data available here and you can do your own calculations. Worldometer Coronavirus Click on "Countries" link at top of page for the numbers.

The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (that is their correct name) have a website that reads a lot like many conspiracy theory websites. I am not sure they are representative of the medical profession in the USA. Might pay to research them. Here is a starting point....Wikipedia
And here is their website....https://aapsonline.org/
Just did some checking. That association does not release membership figures. Assuming figures quoted by others are about right the membership is approximately 0.5% of the number of active physicians in the country.
[99.5% are not members of that particular association.]
To put that into perspective membership of the American Medical Association is 48 times larger.

[autocoupler]

After transposing the words American and Association, to Joe blow average the meaning doesn't alter. 

I doubt that the ANZAC figures should have much relevance actually, given we are two isolated entities bobbing around the Pacific. The rate of infection hardly registers when compared to world figures, sadly, the small number of deaths in comparison would be extremely significant to the families of those deceased.

After posting, I realised the info was two months old and I'm not aware of any outcomes but, it smells a lot like a Democrat versus Republican thing, which is a terrible situation to have politics interfering with proper process if true. The Demo's do control many things over there at the moment.  

That's the way it seems to work these days, not just the US either judging by our own political history.

[nealeffendi]

Hi Auto, one possible reason that certain groups want to discredit any effective and cheap treatment for this virus is money. The drug has been safely used for 60 years by people with various chronic illnesses (like lupus) and the drug is cheap as it is off patent. Also there are legal restrictions on fast tracking new treatments when there are already effective treatments. So if they were to admit that this cheap drug is an effective treatment then they wouldn't be able to get fast track approval of things like a vaccine and without fast track approval it will take at least 5 years for trials. Big Pharma is getting billions of free government money to get a vaccine to market and will keep all the vast profits. The Moderna vaccine is being touted at a likely 60USD a dose and perhaps 1 billion doses (so about 100 billion Aussie dollars of near pure profit). There are mutterings that with only 42% of yanks intending to get the vaccine they will use the power of government to force people (like no jab no school, no dole, no tax refund etc).

[JeffH]

Throw big money and politics into a process and anything could happen.
Logic and science battle to get a look in.

[JeffH]

I forgot to mention religion can be a big factor to influence processes too.

[Unicorn]

All I want it Jeff and his lovely wife to come east and have a lovely holiday. I reckon I could light a fire and with enough red we'd have an absolute brilliant discussion ........ sorry Uni is under the weather (3 parts cut), but it is meant. (Will take this off line as I'm going to drive a pup to Cockburn SA soon).

[JeffH]

One day we should make it happen.

[interest]

The death toll in the USA is just about to hit 200,000

Let that sink in for a minute 200,000 people

We have been so lucky here in Australia,

 a huge shout out to all the people living in Victoria it must have been hard these last few months with only 11 new cases today a remarkable effort

Thank all of you who have done the right thing, the rest of Australia applauds you.

[jens coins]

Thanks Rob.
We still have a way to go before we can travel into Melbourne suburbs and have groups gathering together

[Triggersmob]

Yes, I agree. A big shout out the those Victorians that have done the right thing.
We might have to find a new meaning for COVID now. (It was Citizens Of Victoria Ignoring Directives.)

[ausproofs]

Finally .. we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.. UK on the other hand heading the wrong direction again..  

https://www.9news.com.au/world/coronavirus-uk-case-numbers-could-reach-50000-per-day-by-mid-october-second-wave-covid19-united-kingdom/08dc4009-c1a2-4bd0-a14d-cbe6f1ff018a

[gweidion]

Finally .. we can see the light at the end of the tunnel..

Just as long as it isn't an oncoming train.

[ausproofs]

Finally .. we can see the light at the end of the tunnel..

Just as long as it isn't an oncoming train.

 :taunt: :swoon: