What you need to know about coronavirus on Friday, August 21st

08/21/2020 Health, World


The benefits of wearing masks are clear. Public health experts have stressed for months that masks are one of the most effective tools to help combat the pandemic, and universal mandates are likely to reduce the spread of the airborne virus in indoor and outdoor settings.

But the heinous act of donating a piece of fabric has become a hyperpartisan problem in many countries. On Thursday, the Brazilian Congress made masks mandatory in confined spaces, such as workplaces and places of worship, in conflict with President Jair Bolsonaro, who has often refused to wear one.

As mask mandates intensify in Europe, with France having to be covered in offices next month, the continent’s outlier is moving in a different direction. Sweden’s chief epidemiologist said this week that he would not recommend face masks because it could encourage people to take more risks.

“Face masks can be a complement to other things when other things are safe in place. But to start with face masks and then think that you can follow your buses as your shopping malls – that is definitely a mistake,” Anders Tegnell told the Financial Times.

The opposite is true, according to a new study published yesterday that found that wearing masks leads to other protective behaviors, such as avoiding physical distance, hand washing and handshakes.

Meanwhile, in China, the last sign came that the country’s epidemic was under control, Thursday, when Beijing’s mask mandate was aborted – as long as residents have no “close contact with other people.”

YOU ASKED. WE ANSWERED

Q: Can germicidal ultraviolet light stop coronavirus transmission?

A: Lamps that use ultraviolet light to kill germs can inactivate coronavirus, but they are not always safe and it is not clear how well they do a job in killing the virus, the Food and Drug Administration said in a new placed advice.

The FDA said UVC wavelengths are better than UVA and UVB light at destroying viruses, but UVC lamps have their limits.

The effectiveness is unknown “because there are no published published data on the wavelength, dose, and duration of UVC radiation required to inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” the FDA said in a statement. a newly posted statement. Plus the lamps only work in limited conditions, which do not mimic many situations in real life.

Submit your questions here. Are you a healthcare professional who fights Covid-19? Send us on WhatsApp about the challenges you have to face: +1 347-322-0415.

What is IMPORTANT today

Argentines protest the government's Covid-19 policy in Buenos Aires

Early CDC models had predicted up to 2.4 million American deaths

Early coronavirus models conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicted that by October, 2.4 million Americans could be dead from the virus, said director Dr. Robert Redfield it Journal of the American Medical Association Thursday

Now, however, the CDC estimates that about 200,000 people will die by the end of the year, Redfield said – significantly less than the early projects projected. Redfield cited the lower death toll as evidence that the nation’s response to the pandemic had worked, although the CDC and the Trump administration have been widely criticized for mismanaging the crisis.

Redfield also said that as many as 60 million Americans could have contracted the virus, adding that although cases should start to subside across parts of the country by next week, many in Central America should remain alert. The U.S. has the largest number of infections and deaths in the world, with more than 174,000 deaths and more than 5.5 million cases, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Europe’s travel windows close

The holiday lights go out all over Europe. Just weeks after many countries opened their borders to travelers on the continent, some are close again, often on such short notice that people scramble to get home before quarantine orders are in place, writes Tamara Hardingham-Gill.

Such confusion, often combined with criminals and threats of reprisals from countries that feel unfairly added to so-called “red lists” of Covid-19 unsafe destinations, seems set to undermine efforts to properly prepare Europe’s major summer tourism economy for the warm sunny months have cooled in winter.

The latest victim is Croatia, who was removed from the UK safe list on Thursday. Earlier this week, Croatia was also re-occupied by Slovenia, its second largest tourist nationality, and Austria. This comes as Belgium added Malta to its list of higher risks, along with Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Bulgaria and the United Kingdom. Norway has added a number of destinations, including Greece, Ireland, and Austria.

It is far from the excitement that the news that the European Union opened its doors in July brought.

Ardern schools Trump, but questions are growing about New Zealand’s strategy

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made a pointed comparison between the situation of New Zealand’s coronavirus and the epidemic in the United States today, two days after US President Donald Trump said the island nation had a “major outbreak”.

There were 11 new coronavirus cases reported in New Zealand on Friday, Ardern said, adding that the country “has one of the lowest deaths” from the virus, especially compared to the US. “To give you just one example, the United States has 16,563 cases per million, we have 269 per million people,” she said.
However, there are growing questions about Ardern’s decision to seek the total removal of Covid-19 from New Zealand by launching some of the world’s toughest restrictions – despite the economic damage it inflicted. In light of the country’s recent outbreak, critics are questioning whether the sacrifices were worth it.

Protests in Latin America reflect a toxic cocktail of pandemic and recession

The impact of Covid-19 in Latin America is causing protests in several countries to be ignored as the pandemic’s economic fallout exacerbates existing social tensions from the streets of Buenos Aires and Panama City to remote parts of Brazil and Bolivia.

On Monday, at least 25,000 people marched through the Argentine capital Buenos Aires, protesting the government’s ongoing lockdown, a deepening of the economic crisis and the government’s plans for judicial reform. Protests were also held in the cities of Cordoba, Mar del Plata and Rosario.

Argentina’s experience spans the entire region, where dissatisfaction with a range of issues is linked to the pandemic and its economic impact. Hundreds of cafes, bars and restaurants in its capital have been forced to close, indicating a difficult new chapter for Argentina’s sluggish economy.

Australia discusses ‘No Jab, No Play’ vaccine policy

Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt says a ‘No Jab, No Play’ coronavirus vaccine policy is being discussed after Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that any Australian could receive a potential Covid-19 vaccine for free.

Hunt said he would like to see 95% of the population receive a vaccine once it is available, and that a “No Jab, No Play” policy would mean excluding people from certain public events or services, unless they had a vaccination. When asked if refusing to allow anyone could affect a person’s welfare benefit, school time or travel, Hunt said it was possible.
Meanwhile in Russia, officials said they would begin new week post-registration for their Covid-19 vaccine candidate, amid persistent calls for more data on the jab to be released.

ON RADAR

  • At least 15 U.S. states now report positive cases of Covid-19 in colleges and universities.
  • Wildfires in California have killed four people, and many are being forced to take the risk if they have to evacuate to shelters and risk catching Covid-19.
  • When it comes to educating the world about coronavirus, public health organizations around the world have uniformly recommended reading levels, researchers have found.
  • Another 1.1 million Americans filed initial claims for unemployment benefits last week on a seasonally adjusted basis, leaving economists’ hopes of a second straight week with less than 1 million claims.
  • Costa Rica has joined a small list of countries reopening to American tourists. But there’s a caveat – only Americans from six U.S. states will be allowed to enter.

TOP TIPS

Camping can inspire the most heavenly of thoughts. But in the midst of the pandemic, it also inspires a sobering question: Is it safe? Here are some things to avoid, according to Dr. Matthew Sims, Director of Disease Research at Beaumont Health in Michigan.
  • Singing around a campfire aerosolizes more virus. If you are going to sing around a campfire, that is a potential risk. So if you have a moment and just need to get into song, spread it out.
  • Smell of a campfire. This can make you cough and help spread the virus. If you have a fire, do not publicize it.
  • Share food. This can be a problem if you are camping, especially if you are going with a larger group. If you make a big pot with a stew pot and everyone goes and takes out the same pot and uses the same utensils and ladle, that’s a risk.

TODAY’S PODCAST

“The virus really affects the lungs and people get very, very hypoxic – when their oxygen levels can get really low – and the brain is the one organ that really does not tolerate that and can easily get injured.” – Dr. Sherry Chou of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

From concussion to odor loss to stroke, we have heard a lot about the neurological symptoms of Covid-19. CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to Dr Chou about it in today’s podcast. Listen now.

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