SARS-CoV-2, (2019-nCoV, COVID-19). The spikes on the outer edge of the virus particles give coronaviruses, a family of such viruses, their name, using the latin name for "crown", corona. "Crown virus". Credit: NIAID-RML
October 31, 2020
This isn't going to be a cheery entry, not that any of the entries so far have been.
It's now clear that the disease is mutating. European scientists have isolated a second strain that's ripping through Europe that originated during the first Spanish episode. Viruses mutating is a common evolutionary strategy they employ for survival, but oddly at least the Spanish mutation is every bit as lethal as its predecessor. Usually viruses, such as the 1918 Spanish Flu (poor Spain, to be associated with such disasters), grow less lethal as they evolve. So far, in at least this example, it isn't.
This may explain, but only in part, why its now clear that being infected at least twice is perfectly possible, and now appears common. Wyoming has had its first such instance with a UW student who has had it twice. The other reason that this may be the case is it is clear that immunity from being infected lasts a mere eight weeks. It's not permanent.
Added to that. . . no vaccine yet. And obviously coming up with one, given that the disease has evolved, is going to be difficult.
Keeping it isolated in the first place in free societies, quite frankly, was never going to be possible. That's why it ripped through Europe and is now doing so a second time. And that's why its ripping through the US. It's also why its now ripping through South America and India.
But that also means that the opportunity, in my view, to have contained it effectively, and then put a lid on it, is lost.
That's a grim assessment, but at this time, my prediction is that it will last not only through the winter and into next year. It's become endemic in society and will be something we'll have to go on to accept as a horrific lethal actor in society, like small pox once was. Our best hope is that a vaccine that's effective on whatever the local predominant variant is developed over the next few months and at least 60% of the population gets it. That might knock it back to the level of where its capable of being handled.
In other grim news the disease has hit a Casper nursing home and at this point, at least locally, you know somebody who has it. It's spiking in Wyoming with the new infection rate growing daily.
November 2, 2020
People arriving in New York state must quarantine for three days before taking an infection test.
The United Kingdom is going back into lockdowns and shutting down much of the public market, if you will, economy.
Laramie County's mask requirement comes into effect today, although their District Attorney is indicating that she will take no steps to enforce it.
November 3, 2020
A crowd shouted down public health officials in Natrona County attempting to explain the state of the virus. This is really inexcusable and inexplicable. Part of the time the taunters chanted "USA, USA", which makes no sense in this context whatsoever.
Donald Trump hinted he may fire Dr. Anthony Fauci after the election.
November 4, 2020
Albany County, Wyoming has imposed a mask requirement to go into effect this Friday.
November 9, 2020
The State of Utah has issued a mask mandate.
The University of Wyoming will not be playing its scheduled football game against the Air Force Academy.
The Wind River Indian Reservation is closing its casinos for the second time.
Cont:
From the New York Times:
Pfizer’s Early Data Shows Coronavirus Vaccine Is More Than 90% Effective
This is moving really rapidly. Vaccinations could start by the end of the year.
November 10, 2020
New Jersey has re-imposed restrictions on indoor dining.
November 12, 2020
The University of Wyoming and Central Wyoming College are bringing in already scheduled all on line classes for the campus early. The campuses will go all on line on Monday.
Sublette County is seeking to impose a mask requirement. If imposed, which is likely, it will be the fifth Wyoming county to have one in effect.
Governor Gordon's office issued this release yesterday:
Governor
to Bring Additional Medical Personnel to Wyoming for COVID Response
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Wyoming hospitals are
seeing a drastic spike in COVID-19 cases and report that the main concern at
this time is having adequate staffing. In response, Governor Mark Gordon is
utilizing $10 million in CARES Act funds to bring additional medical personnel to
the state to alleviate the strain on hospitals and Wyoming health care
professionals.
The Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) has
partnered with the Wyoming Hospital Association to bring in temporary medical
personnel to address the surge in hospitalizations that has occurred around the
state, and to prepare for additional staffing needs that are likely to arise.
As of November 10, Wyoming hospitals were reporting a record 178 COVID-19
current hospitalizations. One month ago there were only 56.
“We are grateful to the Governor for recognizing
the imminent need for additional staffing around the state,” said Eric Boley,
President of the Wyoming Hospital Association. “Medical staff across the state
are strained and exhausted. There is an immediate need to bring in additional
help to ease the burden shouldered by our healthcare professionals. This move
by the Governor is important and is giving us critical resources allowing us to
find and retain medical personnel to support our hospitals in their fight against
COVID.”
“This funding will help ease the strain on our
hospitals and healthcare workers, who have been working tirelessly to provide
care to increasing numbers of COVID-19 patients,” Governor Gordon said. “As
hospitals around the region face the same issues, our hospitals cannot plan on
transferring patients out of state. I want to ensure Wyoming maintains its
ability to provide our residents access to the treatments and care they need.”
The Wyoming Hospital Association will work with
the state’s hospitals to evaluate medical staff shortages and consult with the
WDH on each facilities’ needs. The temporary medical personnel will allow
hospitals to treat additional patients, offset staff shortages that may occur
due to illness and provide relief to hospital staff dealing with heavy
workloads and long stretches of overtime.
--END--
November 13, 2020
Twenty-one county health officers have urged Governor Gordon to institute a statewide mask order. Wyoming has twenty-three counties. Presently only a few of those counties have imposed mask orders themselves, including Albany, Laramie and Teton Counties.
The Governor is holding a public conference on COVID 19 later today. His address has been twice delayed this week.
Costco tightened its mass requirement in the US enacting a policy requiring everyone to wear one and, if people have medical exemptions, to wear a face shield.
87 year old Don Young of Alaska, the oldest member of Congress, has contracted COVID 19.
The COVID 19 death toll has surpassed 10,000 deaths in Massachusetts. California has surpassed 1,000,000 infections.
The Mayor of Chicago has urged that Chicagoans stay home except for essential travel.
Jet Blue and Southwest Airlines are ending blocked seat policies and returning to selling the entire cabin.
The Ivy League has called of winter sports.
November 14, 2020
In a heartfelt address, Governor Gordon indicated that all options are on the table even as he tables whether or not to use any for the next couple of weeks to see how things progress and whether people act independently to address the current peak infection rate in the state.
The Wyoming Supreme Court vacated all jury trials.
Oregon's governor ordered that state into a strict two week lockdown.
Puerto Rico activated its National Guard to enforce curfews, which shall be partially tasked for enforcement to the unarmed soldiers.
A court in Texas rules that El Paso County's stay at home order was invalid as that authority was vested solely in the Governor's office.
November 15, 2020
The Tribune this morning has banner headlines with "the Numbers", and a set of graphs. A visually and informationally impressive front page.
Austria is going into a national lockdown.
November 16, 2020
New research has shown that COVID 19 was circulating in Italy, but with low lethality, in September 2019, before the disease was thought to have existed. This means, according to researchers, that the disease is capable of circulating without high lethality which, ironically, also means it will be very difficult to eradicate.
The Navajo Nation has gone into lockdown.
The number of Americans who have been infected surpassed 11,000,000. Mexico surpassed 1,000,000.
November 17, 2020
The President of Wyoming's Senate has contracted the disease and is recovering.
The Wyoming State Republican Central Committee passed a resolution asking Governor Gordon to rescind the state of emergency he declared in March.
November 18, 2020
Mask orders will go into effect in nearly every Wyoming county. At least one county where they have not yet been approved has an order submitted to the State awaiting approval.
Natrona County's was interesting in that the County Health officer submitted an order for approval without providing it to the County Commission which therefore was unaware of its exact terms at the time it was approved, although almost all of them have mirrored the order in place for Teton County, which was the first county to have one independently in place.
Some types of mouthwash have been demonstrated as being effective in killing the virus in the mouth.
November 20, 2020
Governor Gordon announced yesterday that on November 24 restrictions on the number of individuals in gatherings shall be instated.
Travel during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Travel increases your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.
You can get COVID-19 during your travels. You may feel well and not have any symptoms, but you can still spread COVID-19 to others. You and your travel companions (including children) may spread COVID-19 to other people including your family, friends, and community for 14 days after you were exposed to the virus.
Don’t travel if you are sick or if you have been around someone with COVID-19 in the past 14 days. Don’t travel with someone who is sick.
The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Irinej, has died of COVID 19 at age 90. The Patriarch recently preceded over a funeral of a clergyman and came down with the disease shortly thereafter.
November 22, 2020
The Texas National Guard has been deployed to El Paso to assist with a morgue crisis in that city.
November 23, 2020
South Korea tightened restrictions on Seoul.
Protesters in Germany compared German restrictions to Nazi era rule.
France ordered 1,000 minks infected with COVID 19 culled.
Chile reopened its borders.
November 24, 2020
According to Colorado Public Radio, 1 in 49 Coloradans are now infected with Covid 19, or a little over 2%.
The same report notes that Denver International Airport is packed.
Cont:
The Governor's office is now closed due to a staff member coming down with COVID 19. It is set to reopen tomorrow.
November 25, 2020
The Wyoming legislature determined its members won't have to comply with local mask orders when they are sworn in.
Cont:
Governor Gordon has tested positive for the virus.
November 30, 2020
Senate Republicans are suspending their in person lunches. The Democrats did this earlier.
Santa Clara County, California, has suspended team sports. The county includes the NFL's San Francisco 49ers.
December 1, 2020
News remains good on the vaccination front, with some indications that the commencement of vaccinations is only weeks away.
December 2, 2020
The UK has approved the Pfizer vaccine.
Canada has announced that its border control policies with the US will remain in place until the end of the pandemic.
Hong Kong has limited gatherings to two people.
December 4, 2020
The First Lady of Wyoming, Jennie Gordon, now has COVID 19.
Dr. Igor Shepherd of the Wyoming Department of Health spoke at an even in Colorado last month in which he claimed that Russia and China invented the virus in order to spread communism around the world and that the vaccine is a biological weapon.
President Elect Biden will ask Americans to wear a mask for the first 100 days of his presidency.
The number of Americans who have had COVID 19 has surpassed 14,000,000 people.
Cardiac arrests due to drug overdoses are also surging in the United States as the pandemic has caused an uptick in drug and alcohol use.
December 5, 2020
The Natrona County mask mandate was continued to January 8, 2021.
December 7, 2020
Increase
in Deaths and Challenges to Hospital Capacity lead to New Actions to Fight
Virus
Governor
pushes effort so businesses stay open and local authority respected
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – With Wyoming hospitals
seeing record numbers of hospitalized COVID-19 patients and rising deaths,
Governor Mark Gordon has announced a new approach that protects the public and
keeps schools and businesses open. This involves requiring face coverings in
certain indoor public settings in all counties, reducing group sizes, and
reducing hours of businesses where COVID-19 transmission is more likely to
occur. However, counties can opt out of the requirements if local conditions
move to safer levels in accordance with White House metrics.
“Our state and those surrounding us are facing a hospital capacity crisis that
now compels us to take additional action. All through the fall, Wyoming has
seen a rise in serious cases of COVID to a point where every county is facing
critical and dangerous levels of spread of the virus. Too many people have
died,” Governor Gordon said. “Science tells us limiting gatherings of groups
and using face coverings are effective in slowing transmission of this virus.
With these actions we can avoid taking the more drastic step of closing schools
and businesses.”
The new health orders signed by State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist take
effect Wednesday, December 9 and extend through January 8, 2021. Sixteen
Wyoming counties already have county-level orders requiring face coverings. Little
will change in those counties, as local officials continue to have authority to
administer the face covering requirement in their community.
“I want to thank the majority of Wyoming counties who have taken the lead, and
the people who are working hard to protect their friends, neighbors, and
colleagues by wearing face coverings. They will make a big difference but it
will take time. We stand behind the local actions that are in place. These new
orders are meant to support local leadership and we should all know that in
Wyoming these mandates are not about citations, but about caring for others,”
Governor Gordon said.
The Governor's previous steps to address the rising number of hospitalizations
included reducing the size of allowed gatherings, accepting federal assistance
from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and providing additional
financial and staffing support to hospitals in the state. With federal CARES
Act funding scheduled to expire at the end of the month, the Governor said the
use of face coverings is a cost-effective tool that can help reduce
hospitalizations and keep businesses and schools open until a COVID-19 vaccine
is widely available. Wyoming reported 128 COVID-19 deaths in November, the
highest number since the pandemic began in March.
“We have said from the beginning that we will follow the science. We are at a
critical juncture for our state,” the Governor said. “These next few months are
going to be challenging for our businesses, citizens, families, and our healthcare
workers. This is a necessary step to ensure a happy and healthy holiday season
and a safer and Merry Christmas, and set ourselves in good stead for the new
year. The deployment of the vaccine in the coming months will help put this
awful virus finally at bay and bring us back to some semblance of normal.”
The decision to extend the face covering requirement statewide was endorsed by
the Wyoming Medical Society, the Wyoming Primary Care Association and the
Wyoming Hospital Association.
“Wyoming’s physicians and PAs are deeply grateful that the Governor has taken
this critical action in leading our state to the other side of the pandemic,”
said Sheila Bush, Executive Director of the Wyoming Medical Society. “Everyone
wearing a mask is the simplest and most effective way to reduce the state’s
rate of transmission, enabling us to safely keep schools and businesses open
until we reach the other side.”
“We realize that masks are not the cure for COVID, but we know they can be
effective in slowing the spread of the virus,” said Eric Boley, CEO of the
Wyoming Hospital Association. “Hospitals are reaching capacity and nursing
homes are seeing increases in infection rates. Medical staff are exhausted and
are wearing thin as they battle this disease. We need to slow the spread and
flatten the curve until the vaccine is readily available. It is all worth it if
one life is saved by wearing masks. Thank you Governor for your leadership on
this issue.”
A fact sheet is attached providing details on the new orders, along with the
orders themselves, and these can also be found on Wyoming’s COVID-19 website.
“Rest assured that we are doing everything in our power to mitigate the
economic damage and social costs to the state,” the Governor continued, “But
how we emerge on the other side is in large part up to us.”
--END--
December 8, 2020
Denver has closed its bars and restaurants.
The new Wyoming orders are summarized in this letter issued by the state:
December 10, 2020
Dr. Igor Shephard quit his post with the Wyoming Department of Health. You can read about his statements above.
December 11, 2020
The Gates Foundation pledged $250,000,000 to fight COVID 19 worldwide.
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Related and prior threads:
There are over fifty threads mentioning the disease, so only the prior version of this trailing post are noted here.
