I am living in the middle of the emergency over coronavirus in Finland. Due this reason the update cycle to make posting to this blog could be slowed down.
The Finnish government announced on Monday nationwide school closures in order to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. Read more on the following aricles:
Finland closes schools, declares state of emergency over coronavirus
https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/finland_closes_schools_declares_state_of_emergency_over_coronavirus/11260062
Daycare centres are to stay open but parents were asked to keep their kids home if possible. The government also published a 19-point list of emergency legislation that takes effect on 18 March.
Coronavirus latest: 359 cases confirmed in Finland, S-Group shuts its Helsinki eateries, bankruptcy fears mount
https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/coronavirus_latest_359_cases_confirmed_in_finland_s-group_shuts_its_helsinki_eateries_bankruptcy_fears_mount/11249610
Here is a link to an earlier post related to Coronavirus:
https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2020/02/12/mobile-trends-2020-mwc-canceled/
1,657 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Maskihamstraus on alkanut: Myynnissä on monenhintaisia maskeja – Hintaa pudottaa kertakäyttömaskeilla pakkauskoko, kankaisilla toistokerrat
Maskien kysyntä on viime päivinä vilkastunut selvästi kerrotaan suomalaisista kaupoista.
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11477268
Tomi Engdahl says:
American Airlines Bans Masks with Exhaust Valves and Vents
https://kokpitherald.com/american-airlines-new-masks-policy/
American Airlines has announced that masks with exhaust valves or vents will no longer be allowed on American Airlines.
Effective Aug. 19, 2020, and following the most recent recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), face coverings with exhausts valves or vents will no longer be allowed for travel with American Airlines. The CDC notes that face coverings with one-way valves or vents allow exhaled air to be expelled through holes in the material. These can allow exhaled respiratory droplets to reach others and potentially spread the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Allowed:
A well-secured cloth or mask that fits snugly against the face and covers an individual’s nose and mouth. It must be made of a material that prevents the discharge and release of respiratory droplets from a person’s nose or mouth.
Not allowed:
Face coverings with exhaust valves.
Face coverings made with materials such as mesh or lace fabrics.
Face coverings that do not cover the nose and mouth.
Face shields without the addition of a face covering.
Only children under the age of 2 are exempt from American’s face covering policy. Customers without an approved face covering will be provided with an approved one, upon request, at the airport. Face coverings can only be briefly removed while the customer is eating or drinking.
Tomi Engdahl says:
MTV Uutiset sai käsiinsä ennusteet toisesta korona-aallosta.
“Tekee niin tai näin, toinen aalto tulee.”
https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/mtv-sai-ennusteet-toinen-korona-aalto-vyoryy-suomeen-nain-eri-rajoitustoimet-vaikuttavat-taudin-etenemiseen-kaikki-skenaariot-ennustavat-sita-etta-jotakin-on-pakko-tehda/7893862#gs.d88qra
MTV sai ennusteet, toinen korona-aalto vyöryy Suomeen – näin eri rajoitustoimet vaikuttavat taudin etenemiseen: “Kaikki skenaariot ennustavat sitä, että jotakin on pakko tehdä”
Muun muassa joukkoliikenteeseen kohdennetun maskisuosituksen arvioidaan vähentävän maansisäistä korona-tartuntojen jatkoleviämistä noin 20-25 prosentilla, lasketaan Vantaan sosiaali- ja terveystoimessa. Siitä huolimatta tulevan syksyn tartunta-arvioiden tekijät odottavat Suomen toisesta korona-aallosta kevään kaltaista.
Laskelmien ääripäistä voi sanoa, että edessä voi olla hyvin vähän tartuntoja tai sitten jopa yli 10 000:n viikkotartuntatahti.
Kolme ennustetta Suomen syksystä
Kaikki kolme skenaariota lähtee siitä, että vaikka eri skenaariovaihtoehtojen tartuttavuusluvut liikkuvat noin 1,1:n ja 1,3:n välillä, arvioitu kehitys vaihtelee suuresti. Keskeinen tulos on se, että tekee niin tai näin, toinen aalto tulee.
– Melkein voi sanoa, että kun Suomi ei ole tässä yksin, niin tukahduttaminen käytännössä johtaa aina siihen toiseen aaltoon, kun rajoituksia puretaan.
– Niin kauan kuin maailma ei ole pelkästään Suomi, niin tukahduttaminen ei lopullisesti estä mitään, kun suomalaiset saa matkustaa kuitenkin ja tänne tullaan riskimaistakin.
“Uudellamaalla ollaan jo siinä pisteessä, että oltaisiin matkustuskieltomaassa”
Vantaalla arvioidaan että muun muassa joukkoliikenteeseen kohdennettu maskisuositus estäisi tartuntojen jatkoleviämistä viidenneksellä tai neljänneksellä.
– Uudellamaalla ollaan jo siinä pisteessä, että oltaisiin matkustuskieltomaassa. Että jos välttämään pystymme pahimpia paikkoja, missä niitä tautileviämistä tulee, eli sisätiloissa ja joukkoliikenteessä, niin kyllä se vaikutus on suuri, Korvanen toteaa.
Tomi Engdahl says:
With Satellite Data, NASA Shows COVID-19 Impact on Food Supply Chain
https://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/tb/stories/blog/37334?utm_source=TB_Main_News&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20200804&oly_enc_id=2460E0071134A8V
Collecting “in-the-field” information about crop conditions is difficult, or even impossible, when there’s a pandemic and you can’t travel.
NASA’s observations from space are filling in the data gaps and providing a full picture of how unpredictable factors like COVID-19 are impacting the food supply, as well as agricultural markets and the supply chain.
“It is important to understand that ‘food supply’ goes beyond just crop production,” said Michael Humber, Assistant Research Professor at the University of Maryland and data lead at a NASA program called NASA Harvest. “The supply chain and agricultural markets are vulnerable to the impacts of COVID-19 as well.”
“The variety in data sources means that now we can combine optical data with radar data in order to reduce the effects of cloud cover, and we can use high resolution imagery to identify field boundaries and identify variations in crop health and yield at the sub-field scale,” Humber told Tech Briefs.
COVID-19 is influencing supply and demand. The drastic reduction in demand from restaurants and schools. for example, coupled with increased demand at grocery stores, have sent ripple effects through the logistics sector. COVID-19 has directly impacted labor availability, as have restrictions placed on the mobility of migrant workers – this is particularly problematic for high-labor crops like fruits and vegetables that require many workers in the field.
Tomi Engdahl says:
“Yet the institute has never published its Phase 1 and 2 trial data.”
Looks like the apocalypse is upon us, folks. This is exactly the plotline of ‘I Am Legend’.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/11/health/russia-covid-19-vaccine-safety.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Coronavirus: What’s going to happen to China’s economy?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=share&v=9hhPMlReMIU
The coronavirus pandemic has been pummeling the global economy, causing many governments to take extraordinary measures to prevent financial collapse. The initial outbreak of what is now a global pandemic happened in China, and months later the country seems to be recovering. But as the government tries to jump-start the nation’s stalled economy, it faces huge challenges. Heiwai Tang, professor of economics and associate director of the Institute for China and Global Development at Hong Kong University sheds some light on the situation.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Covid-19 crisis leads to more than 2,000 job cuts across UK news organisations
https://pressgazette.co.uk/covid-19-crisis-leads-to-more-than-2000-job-cuts-across-uk-news-organisations/
More than 2,000 jobs at UK-based news organisations have been put at risk during the Covid-19 crisis so far, with more expected to follow.
Cutbacks have fallen across the news industry as the decline in print sales has deepened and the advertising market has collapsed under lockdown.
At the BBC alone close to 1,000 jobs have been put at risk across news and the nations and regions, with the broadcaster facing an estimated £125m in lost income this financial year as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
The pandemic has accelerated cutbacks at most news organisations.
Tomi Engdahl says:
No-Mask Attacks: Nationwide, Employees Face Violence For Enforcing Mask Mandates
https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2020/08/15/no-mask-attacks-nationwide-employees-face-violence-for-enforcing-mask-mandates/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Gordie/#676f7264696
While mask mandates are becoming more common throughout the country, some Americans continue to resist covering their faces as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control to help prevent the spread of coronavirus to others—just this week, instances of customers destroying property and even assaulting employees over anger at being told to wear a face mask were reported nationwide.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The virus was much more prevalent in the US earlier than we thought.
Thousands Of “Flu” Cases In Seattle This Winter Were Actually Covid-19
https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/thousands-of-flu-cases-in-seattle-this-winter-were-actually-covid19/
Thousands of cases of flu in Seattle between January and early March were actually Covid-19, according to a new study, meaning the virus was much more prevalent in the US earlier than thought.
Reporting in The Lancet’s open-access journal EClinicalMedicine, researchers reanalyzed throat swab samples from people who presented with “flu” symptoms in Seattle between the end of February and early March and found more than one in 10 cases were Covid-19. Their findings suggest around 9,000 people may have had Covid-19 by March 9, when fewer than 150 cases had been officially reported across the whole of Washington.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Teachers Organize Mass Sick Days, Resignations, And Potential Strikes Over Schools Reopening
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2020/08/16/teachers-organize-mass-sick-days-resignations-and-potential-strikes-over-schools-reopening/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Gordie/#676f7264696
Teachers across the country are threatening to not return to school for in-person teaching over Covid-19 safety concerns, with many resigning, retiring, announcing their intention to strike, or planning a coordinated “sick out” as schools face pressure to reopen for the fall.
“This is not a traditional work stoppage,” said Terrence Martin, president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers. “This is a refusal of employees to return to an unsafe work environment. Our teachers are ready to teach. We’re excited. We miss our students, we want to continue to engage with them, but we want to do it safely.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
This Covid-19 Conspiracy Theory Has Killed 800 People And Blinded 60 So Far
https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/this-covid19-conspiracy-theory-has-killed-800-people-and-blinded-60-so-far/
A study looking at rumors and conspiracy theories surrounding Covid-19 has identified over 2,000 cases of dangerous misinformation spread on social media and other websites in at least 87 countries, some of which led to harm, including one that caused an estimated 800 deaths.
While some rumors and conspiracies can be mostly harmless, there were a few with obvious dangers, such as “spraying chlorine all over your body can prevent coronavirus infection”. One rumor that spread in South Korea in early March, for instance, said that rinsing your mouth with salt water can prevent infection, which it cannot. One church believed it, however, and sprayed salt water into the mouths of churchgoers. This resulted in more than 100 infections, according to the study, because they were spraying contaminated water directly into their mouths.
The most harmful of the misinformation in the study by far was a false cure.
“A popular myth that consumption of highly concentrated alcohol could disinfect the body and kill the virus was circulating in different parts of the world,” the authors wrote in the study. “Following this misinformation, approximately 800 people have died, whereas 5,876 have been hospitalized and 60 have developed complete blindness after drinking methanol as a cure of coronavirus.”
The researchers say that to tackle the dangerous messages out there, it isn’t enough for governments to merely debunk dangerous rumors, they must now engage social media companies to spread correct information.
“Misinformation fueled by rumors, stigma, and conspiracy theories can have potentially severe implications on public health if prioritized over scientific guidelines,” the team wrote.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Jared Kushner Says 170,000 U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Is A Success Story
https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2020/08/17/jared-kushner-says-170000-us-coronavirus-deaths-is-a-success-story/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Gordie/#676f7264696
Echoing President Trump’s frequent claim that his response to the coronavirus pandemic has been largely effective, White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner said Monday that the U.S. death toll from the virus has been a success story and that Trump administration officials have “done our best.”
“170,000 dead Americans, would you still suggest that this has been a success story,” asked CNN host Wolf Blitzer – referring to Kushner’s characterization of Trump’s response in April – to which Kushner responded, “yes.”
Kushner conceded there have been “a lot of challenges” and that, in the first phase of the virus, “we didn’t know what to expect,” but nonetheless argued that the administration has largely done the best job it could do.
Trump told Axios reporter Jonathan Swan earlier this month that the virus is “under control as much as you can control it,” later claiming, “Nobody can do what I’ve done, in terms of all of the things we’re doing to combat this horrible disease.”
100,000. That’s the low end of American coronavirus deaths the White House coronavirus task force projected in March. The 170,000 figure falls well within the middle range of that model, presented by task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx and infectious disease chief Dr. Anthony Fauci, which projected between 100,000 and 240,000 deaths.
Tomi Engdahl says:
ISIS allegedly used Facebook in bid to scam people desperate for face masks
https://mashable.com/article/doj-isis-facebook-coronavirus-face-masks/?europe=true
In mid-March, as the first shelter-in-place orders were issued across the U.S. and desperate public health officials scrounged for medical grade face masks, an online store by the name of FaceMaskCenter.com offered hope. Despite the global shortage, it claimed to have hundreds of thousands of FDA-approved N95 masks, and would be delighted to sell them to businesses in need.
Unfortunately, as the Department of Justice alleged on Thursday, FaceMaskCenter.com was in fact a scam. Not only were the masks it listed for sale not FDA approved, but according to the DOJ the entire operation was run by a known “ISIS facilitator” by the name of Murat Cakar. That’s right, ISIS got in on the face mask grift.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/20/08/17/2048244/we-wont-remember-much-of-what-we-did-in-the-pandemic?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Slashdot%2Fslashdot%2Fto+%28%28Title%29Slashdot+%28rdf%29%29
Tomi Engdahl says:
The study looked at 100 patients (median age of just 49) who recently recovered from Covid-19, most of whom were asymptomatic or had just mild symptoms.
Covid-19 Can Cause Heart Damage—Even If You Are Asymptomatic
http://on.forbes.com/6183GYtKJ
A lot has been written about “long haulers”—patients who have tested positive for SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, who continue to experience ongoing symptoms such as fatigue, muscle aches, palpitations and difficulty breathing for months after their initial diagnosis.
Long haulers have drawn attention to complaints involving the lungs and respiratory system as some of the important systemic effects of the virus, but there is also a growing concern that the extent of its effects on the heart that have not received as much attention.
And while SARS-CoV-2 may lead to overt cardiac symptoms such as chest pain or shortness of breath resulting in heart attacks and blood clots, there is also the possibility that the virus may cause significant heart damage and inflammation—but without producing any immediate or more noticeable cardiac symptoms.
This concern was addressed in the findings of a new study published in JAMA last month, demonstrating that even if you are unaware of having any symptoms after recovery from Covid-19, there is the possibility that the virus may cause heart damage or inflammation that could put you at risk for complications including heart arrhythmias, heart failure and sudden cardiac death.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Whether you have contracted COVID-19 or not, your brain is likely to have changed over the past few months.
https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/coronavirus-the-pandemic-is-changing-our-brains-here-are-the-remedies/
your brain is likely to have changed over the past few months. The virus itself can cause a number of neurological problems, along with anxiety and depression. The isolation and worry caused by the pandemic can similarly alter our brain chemistry and cause mood disorders.
In our new paper, published in Neuropsychopharmacology Reviews, we have investigated how to best overcome the brain changes linked to the pandemic.
Let’s start with COVID-19 infection. In addition to mood disorders, common symptoms include fatigue, headaches, memory loss and problems with attention. There may be a number of reasons for these brain changes, including inflammation and cerebrovascular events (a syndrome caused by disruption of blood supply to the brain).
These changes in the brain are likely responsible for the mood, fatigue and cognitive changes that are commonly experienced by COVID-19 patients. This in turn may underlie the reported symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression in patients who have contracted the virus.
But it’s not just people who have contracted the COVID-19 virus that have suffered from increased anxiety and depression during the pandemic. Excessive worry over contracting or spreading the virus to other family members, as well as isolation and loneliness, can also change our brain chemistry.
Repeated stress is a major trigger for persistent inflammation in the body, which can also affect the brain and shrink the hippocampus and therefore affect our emotions. Stress can also affect levels of brain serotonin and cortisol, which can affect our mood. Eventually, these changes can cause symptoms of depression and anxiety.
We already know that exercise and mindfulness training – techniques that help us stay in the present – are helpful when it comes to combating brain stress. Indeed, studies have shown beneficial functional and structural changes in the brain’s prefrontal cortex (involved in planning and decision making), hippocampus and amygdala following mindfulness training.
One study showed an enhanced density of grey matter – the tissue containing most of the brain’s cell bodies and a key component of the central nervous system – in the left hippocampus after eight weeks of training (in comparison to controls).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Outbreaks Hit Fraternities, Sororities And Dorms As College Parties Resume
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2020/08/17/outbreaks-hit-fraternities-sororities-and-dorms-as-college-parties-resume/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Gordie/#676f7264696
Greek houses and residence halls have become the site of Covid-19 outbreaks at universities including Oklahoma State and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where faculty are now demanding action from the university’s board to reconsider in-person learning.
Tomi Engdahl says:
If you are infected with Covid-19 you will most likely experience symptoms in this order.
We Now Know The Most Likely Order Covid-19 Symptoms Appear
https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/we-now-know-the-most-likely-order-covid19-symptoms-appear/
Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) have identified the likely order that Covid-19 symptoms first appear, which they hope will help doctors to identify patients sooner and give appropriate treatment.
“A person infected with Covid-19 is most likely to experience symptoms in the order of fever, cough, nausea/vomiting, then diarrhea,” the authors revealed. “The least likely path starts at diarrhea and nausea/vomiting and is followed by cough, and finally fever.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Government 3.0: using monitoring for next-generation government IT
https://blog.paessler.com/using-monitoring-for-next-generation-government-it?utm_medium=paidsocial&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=fbin_nu_all_cn-bvbu_b-blog_en_multiplacement_mb_cpm_m%3A24-54-in%3Ait-companies_biz_prtg-mbi&utm_content=en_b-govt3-story-none_ac114_im079&hsa_acc=754827561636720&hsa_cam=23844846233210607&hsa_grp=23844846232760607&hsa_ad=23845405583360607&hsa_src=fb&hsa_net=facebook&hsa_ver=3
There’s a term called e-government and it basically describes the use of technical resources to provide public services to citizens in a region or a whole country. In principle, the term covers all mutual relationships: It consists of the digital interactions between a citizen and the government, between a central government and government agencies or regional institutions, between a government and its citizens, between a government and its employees, and finally between government and businesses.
E-government and Government 2.0 are sometimes used interchangeably, with Gartner defining the latter term as having the following characteristics, ; It is citizen- and employer-driven, it keeps evolving and is transformational, it requires a blend of planning and nurturing, it needs pattern-based strategy capabilities and finally calls for a new management style.
In the meantime, however, areas such as big data, Internet of Things, administrative and business process management, blockchain and sophisticated monitoring are all driving public sector innovation, creating improvements in service delivery, resource management, and decision making. This transformation is often referred to as Government 3.0. Let’s take a look at how monitoring enhances the technical possibilities of government IT in the 2020s.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Is it risky to get on a plane while Covid-19 is still in the picture?
https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/is-it-safe-to-fly-during-the-pandemic-a-new-case-study-sheds-light-on-the-question/
Overall, it’s a fairly murky picture, which goes to show how hard it is to track and trace people while they’re jet-setting across the world. Nevertheless, the researchers argue their report suggests Covid-19 can be passed on, possibly through in-air transmission, on a busy plane. They also indicate that this risk could be further slashed if all passengers and crew wear faces masks, which they did not in this case.
“We know that masks are very effective in preventing transmissions, and should be applied on the plane,” said Professor Ciesek.
“There have been few reported cases of in-air transmission on an airplane. But it may occur, when no measures to reduce prevention are applied. This is an important aspect of air travel during the pandemic.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
This is not the news we were hoping for.
Flu-Like Viruses Can Be Transmitted By Dust Particles In The Air
https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/flulike-viruses-can-be-transmitted-by-dust-particles-in-the-air/
Conventional wisdom states that airborne viruses like influenza and Covid-19 can only be transmitted by respiratory droplets that are released when an infected person coughs or sneezes, yet new research may have just shattered that assumption. According to a study in the journal Nature Communications, flu-like viruses can also be carried through the air by dust, fibers, and other tiny particles that are not of a respiratory origin.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Spain And Italy Post New Coronavirus Records Since Lockdown
https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2020/08/19/spain-and-italy-post-new-coronavirus-records-since-lockdown/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Gordie/#676f7264696
Both Spain and Italy reported new highs of daily recorded coronavirus cases Wednesday after ending their strict lockdowns months ago, as more and more viral cases are detected throughout Europe in a worrying trend.
Many of Europe’s new infections have been detected in young people, the World Health Organization’s regional director for Europe Hans Kluge has warned, telling Today, a BBC Radio 4 show in July that young people “have a responsibility towards themselves, their parents, grandparents and their communities” to continue social distancing. Similar trends have been reported in U.S. cities as well, like Los Angeles and New York.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kari Enqvistin kolumni: Mitä nopeammin tajuaa, ettei maailma palaa entiselleen milloinkaan, sitä parempi
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11499379
Kun edelleen korona-aika jatkuu, kysytään kärsimättömästi milloin maailma palaa entiselleen? Todennäköisesti vastaus on: ei milloinkaan, kirjoittaa Kari Enqvist.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2020/08/19/airlines-seek-storage-for-grounded-fleets-due-to-covid-19/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Trump Administration Declares Teachers Essential Workers, Says Can Stay In Class If Exposed To Covid-19
https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattperez/2020/08/20/trump-administration-declares-teachers-essential-workers-says-can-stay-in-class-if-exposed-to-covid-19/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Valerie/#76616c657269
The Trump administration has designated teachers as essential workers in its effort to encourage schools to reopen for in-person instruction this fall, as some early-opening school districts have been hit with coronavirus outbreaks among students and staff.
In adding teachers to its list of essential workers, which is only guidance and nonbinding, the government is advising teachers exposed to confirmed cases of Covid-19 but who are not exhibiting symptoms to remain at work and not quarantine.
President Trump throughout the summer has been adamant that schools should reopen for in-person instruction in the fall, falsely claiming that children don’t easily spread the virus.
Research is still being done on the effects the coronavirus has on children, but a study published in JAMA Pediatrics in July found that children carry as much or more of the infection in their noses and throats compared to adults, and a study on contact tracing in South Korea found that young people were most likely to spread Covid-19 in their households.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease official, has encouraged attempting in-person instruction with precautions. Florida’s largest teachers union sued DeSantis and the state’s education commissioner in July over its emergency declaration to reopen schools amid a spike in infections in the state.
Tomi Engdahl says:
As the Bubble Slowly Pops, the Economic Chain Reaction Is Now in Progress
https://mises.org/wire/bubble-slowly-pops-economic-chain-reaction-now-progress
Tomi Engdahl says:
In the Midst of A Potential Second Wave, Europeans Are Increasingly Investing in Bitcoin
https://blog.amun.com/in-the-midst-of-a-potential-second-wave-europeans-are-increasingly-investing-in-bitcoin/
While the EURO STOXX 50 index is -14.2% since its pre-COVID-19 level in early March 2020, Bitcoin has risen by 10.1% over the same time frame.
Tomi Engdahl says:
‘What will a return to school during the COVID-19 pandemic look like?’
What parents need to know about school reopening in the age of coronavirus.
https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/what-will-return-school-during-covid-19-pandemic-look
Tomi Engdahl says:
De Blasio has ‘no plan’ for return of indoor dining in NYC
https://nypost.com/2020/08/21/de-blasio-has-no-plan-for-return-of-indoor-dining-in-nyc/?utm_source=facebook_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site+buttons&utm_campaign=site+buttons
Tomi Engdahl says:
Poll: 57% Of Republicans Find Coronavirus Death Toll, Now Over 176,000, ‘Acceptable’
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2020/08/23/poll-57-of-republicans-find-coronavirus-death-toll-now-over-176000-acceptable/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Valerie/#76616c657269
A majority of Republican voters think that the U.S. coronavirus death toll, which is over 176,000 and rising, is “acceptable,” a CBS News/YouGov poll found Sunday, with an even larger number saying that the national response to coronavirus is “going well.”
Republicans also felt coronavirus deaths are being over counted, with 64% saying deaths are actually “fewer than reported.”
A vast majority of Republicans, 73%, also said the way the U.S. is dealing with the coronavirus pandemic is “going well,” while 62% of all voters said the response is “going badly.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Trump List Of 50 ‘Core Priorities’ For Second Term Includes ‘Return To Normal In 2021’
https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2020/08/23/trump-list-of-50-core-priorities-for-second-term-includes-return-to-normal-in-2021/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Gordie/#676f7264696
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/nain-hurjasti-virus-levisi-tyoyhteisossa-mtv-toteutti-silmia-avaavan-havainnollistavan-simulaation-tautien-leviamisesta/7903542
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ohio State University Suspends 228 Students For Violating Covid-19 Guidelines
https://www.forbes.com/sites/elanagross/2020/08/24/ohio-state-university-suspends-228-students-for-violating-covid-19-guidelines/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Valerie/#76616c657269
Ohio State University has issued interim suspensions to 228 students, becoming the latest university to discipline students for violating guidelines to stem the spread of coronavirus on campus.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tourism Industry Faces $1 Trillion Loss, 100 Million Jobs At Risk From Covid-19, UN Reports
http://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2020/08/25/un-report-tourism-industry-covid-19-faces-1-trillion-loss-100-million-jobs-at-risk/?utm_source=fb_breakingnews&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=forbes
A new policy brief from the United Nations outlining Covid-19’s impact on the tourism industry projects the pandemic will cost the tourism industry approximately $1 trillion in losses and threaten more than 100 million jobs worldwide, underlining how the ongoing global crisis has devastated one of the world’s largest industries.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nyt varma tieto: Koronan voi saada uudelleen – kaksi tapausta Euroopassa
https://www.iltalehti.fi/koronavirus/a/7746252d-9d22-46cd-b684-37e257028477
Tomi Engdahl says:
Analyysi: Kaikki maailman lentoyhtiöt sakkaavat nyt pahasti
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11510712
– Lentobisneksessä on historian kovimmat paikat koronan vuoksi
Lentoyhtiöiden liikevaihdot ovat laskeneet poikkeuksellisen jyrkästi koronapandemian aikana.
Tomi Engdahl says:
American Airlines Will Cut 19,000 Jobs In October As Coronavirus Decimates Travel Industry
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahhansen/2020/08/25/american-airlines-will-cut-19000-jobs-in-october-as-coronavirus-decimates-travel-industry/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Gordie/#676f7264696
American Airlines will cut 19,000 jobs in October after the corporate aid provided by the CARES Act runs out, the latest sign of major distress from an industry that is facing years of hardship because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Tomi Engdahl says:
‘What will a return to school during the COVID-19 pandemic look like?’
https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/what-will-return-school-during-covid-19-pandemic-look?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=coronavirus
What parents need to know about school reopening in the age of coronavirus.
Life during the COVID-19 pandemic is difficult for parents and children alike. The return to school is an important and hopefully welcome step, but you and your children likely have many questions. Here’s the latest information on what to expect and how you can support your young student.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The pandemic has probably killed VR arcades for good
https://tcrn.ch/3hvnoSH
A lagging trend of the past few months has been witnessing startups that COVID seemed poised to kill end up scaling back some of those deep cuts and taking off again. Not all spaces have been quite so lucky, in particular, lately we’ve seen a host of location-based virtual reality startups shut their doors.
Virtual reality arcades weren’t exactly crushing it pre-pandemic, the small industry was already a bit of a Hail Mary for the virtual reality market which has failed to push consumers to adopt headsets on their own and saw arcades as a way to warm up the general public to VR’s role in entertainment. Lackluster consumer interest and the throughput difficulties associated with quickly moving users through experiences were among their biggest challenges facing VR arcades.
With the future of in-person entertainment unclear, the question is whether virtual reality arcades have any chance of a rebound.
Virtual reality, as an industry, is in a tough spot. In the United States, it’s essentially only Facebook keeping the space alive in a meaningful way and while the company seems to be barreling ahead in its efforts to build a mainstream future for the technology on its own terms. Earlier this summer, Facebook announced that it was pulling its top-selling title Beat Saber from arcades for good by August. Since the acquisition of Oculus back in 2014, the ecosystem that sprang up around Facebook’s VR efforts has receded meaningfully leaving the company in a lonely position once again.
Tomi Engdahl says:
As more and more credit cards are being issued while people in Japan stay home and shop amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, issuing companies are running out of 16-digit combinations for card numbers.
Japan facing credit card number shortage as people stay home and shop
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200821/p2a/00m/0bu/025000c
As more and more credit cards are being issued while people in Japan stay home and shop amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, issuing companies are running out of 16-digit combinations for card numbers.
The shortage of numbers has emerged against the backdrop of a rise in credit card payments from consumers staying indoors amid the pandemic, as well as a sudden increase in the number of cards being issued due to the government’s introduction in October last year of a point reward system accompanying cashless transactions.
There are about 280 credit card companies in Japan, a large majority of which issue cards with 16 digits as they partner with international brands like Visa, Mastercard and JCB. The first six digits represent the country, brand, and the type of card issuer and other elements. The remaining digits are handled by credit card companies themselves, and show information such as the account number and type of membership of the cardholder.
it is feared that there will be a shortage in digit combinations from the seventh digit onward.
Furthermore, the industry has failed to address the issue sufficiently.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Rafat Ali / Skift:
A few lessons for the events industry from digital turning points in music, video, and news industries, as Zoom transforms events like Napster changed music
https://skift.com/2020/08/26/the-event-industry-is-being-confronted-by-its-napster-moment/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Auntien psykologi Jutta Järvisaari oli Ylen haastattelussa. Jutan mukaan: Keskitä voimat siihen, mihin voit vaikuttaa.
Jutta Järvisaari arvioi, että työnteon jatkuminen koronatilanteen ehdoilla koettelee nyt monien resilienssiä, psyykkistä palautumiskykyä.
– Joudutaan sopeutumaan moneen asiaan ja laskemaan irti kontrollista, hän sanoo.
Järvisaari työskentelee Auntiessa, ennaltaehkäisevää tukea työhyvinvointiin tarjoavassa verkkopalvelussa, jonka asiakkaina on eri alojen organisaatioita.
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11508693
Töitä tehdään syksylläkin koronan ehdoilla – työterveyspsykologi: “Tämä on maratonmatka, pikajuoksutaktiikalla ei pääse pitkälle”
Jaksamista ja stressinhallintaa helpottaa, kun keskittää omat voimat niihin asioihin, joihin pystyy vaikuttamaan.
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11508693
Pulli painottaa, että tänä syksynä riittävä palautuminen on otettava työpaikoilla kunnolla huomioon.
Viime keväänä moni venyi töiden ja uudenlaisen arjen kanssa äärimmilleen, kun koronatilanteeseen sopeuduttiin rytinällä. Nyt pitäisi muodostua sellaisia toimintamalleja, jotka eivät enää perustu venymiseen. Ihminen ei nimittäin voi käydä ylikierroksilla loputtomiin.
– Pitäisi löytää sellainen tapa, jota voi jatkaa pidempään. Tämä on oikeasti maratonmatka. Pikajuoksutaktiikalla ei nyt pääse pitkälle, Katriina Pulli sanoo.
Keskitä voimat siihen, mihin voit vaikuttaa
Myös psykologi Jutta Järvisaari arvioi, että työnteon jatkuminen koronatilanteen ehdoilla koettelee nyt monien resilienssiä, psyykkistä palautumiskykyä.
– Joudutaan sopeutumaan moneen asiaan ja laskemaan irti kontrollista, hän sanoo.
Mitä epävarmempi ja muuttuvampi arki on, sitä enemmän työntekijän kannattaa säästää voimiaan koettamalla tunnistaa, mihin asioihin voi itse vaikuttaa, mihin puolestaan ei.
– Kun keskittää omat voimat ja päivän toimet niiden asioiden ympärille, joihin pystyy vaikuttamaan ja joissa pystyy tekemään omaa hyvinvointia tukevia päätöksiä, se vie voimaa myös huolilta ja murheilta, Jutta Järvisaari sanoo.
Kun työpäivässä on huokoisuutta, jaksaminen paranee
Miten stressinhallintaa ja palautumista sitten voisi työssä edistää?
Palautumisesta pitäisi Katriina Pullin mukaan huolehtia koko työyhteisön tasolla. Yksittäinen työntekijä voi tehdä oman osansa, mutta ei voi vaikuttaa kaikkeen. Palautumista edistää, jos se huomioidaan jo työpäivän aikana esimerkiksi niin, että välillä on aikaa vaihtaa ajatuksia työporukan kesken ja työpäivissä on huokoisuutta.
– Huokoisuus ei vaadi sitä, että istutaan kahvilla tiheästi, vaan että sinulla on ajatuksissasi aikaa siirtyä yhdestä asiasta toiseen ja kalenterissa on väljyyttä. Ettet joudu siihen tilanteeseen, että jo aamulla mietit, miten selviät tästä päivästä, Katriina Pulli sanoo.
Toisaalta kotona työskennellessä työ on voinut valua vapaa-ajalle eikä työpäivä oikeastaan lopu ollenkaan.
Yksittäisen työntekijän ratkaisevat keinot epävarmuuden sietämisen, stressinhallinnan ja jaksamisen parantamiseksi löytyvät monesti jo arjen peruspalikoista, sanoo psykologi Jutta Järvisaari. Levon, ruuan, liikunnan ja sosiaalisten suhteiden osalta voi koettaa tehdä pieniä muutoksia.
– Ihan yksi askel kerrallaan. Voi miettiä, mikä olisi se yksi juttu, minkä voin tehdä jo tänään, että tulisi helpompi olo, Järvisaari sanoo.
Järvisaari kehottaa myös listaamaan omia stressinhallinnan ja palautumisen keinoja, vaikkapa viikon ajan. Keinojen tunnistaminen ja niiden toimivuuden pohtiminen on hyödyllistä, sillä kaikki käyttämämme keinot eivät aina ole niitä meille parhaita keinoja.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How Long Are You Contagious With Covid-19 Coronavirus? Here’s A CDC Update
https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2020/07/27/how-long-are-you-contagious-with-covid-19-coronavirus-heres-a-cdc-update/
The CDC is now saying that if you have mild-to-moderate Covid-19, keep yourself isolated from other people for at least 10 days after you first noticed symptoms. You can discontinue this isolation after the 10-day mark if you haven’t had a fever for at least 24 hours and your other symptoms have improved. Note that not having a fever because you took a fever-reducing medication like Tylenol doesn’t count. That would be cheating. The fever has to have naturally disappeared. Still having a fever after 10 days means that you may need not only more cowbell but also more isolation.
This is a bit different from what the CDC was saying back in April, which was about three missed haircuts ago. As I wrote for Forbes at the time, the threshold back then was seven days rather than 10 days for discontinuing isolation. Also, the previous threshold for being fever-free was 72 hours instead of 24 hours. So in the words of Guns N’ Roses, you’ll need a have little more patience. Wait three days longer before exposing yourself to others. Actually, that came out wrong. Wait three days longer before interacting in any way with others.
Keep in mind that isolation is not the same as social distancing. You should still social distance after ending isolation. Social distancing means staying at least one Ryan Gosling away from everyone else. As actor Gosling is approximately six feet tall, this would be keeping at least one lying Gosling apart. A Gosling lying on the floor, that is. Isolation, instead, entails staying in a room or rooms by yourself away from others. No one should enter that room unless they have are wearing a full set of personal protective equipment, known affectionately as PPE. It also involves not sharing any items that you may have contaminated with others, including that mountain of toilet paper that you have amassed around your bed.
Isolate if you are sick.
Quarantine if you might be sick.
As you can see, it’s all about the might. Isolate yourself when you already know that you are infected. By contrast, quarantine yourself when you think that you may have been exposed to the virus. Another way to remember when to quarantine is the “q.” Quarantine when there’s a “question” whether you are infected. Isolate when you say “I am infected.” Quarantine does not become isolation until you have either had a positive test for the RNA of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or developed symptoms that suggest Covid-19.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Analyysi: Kaikki maailman lentoyhtiöt sakkaavat nyt pahasti – Lentobisneksessä on historian kovimmat paikat koronan vuoksi
Lentoyhtiöiden liikevaihdot ovat laskeneet poikkeuksellisen jyrkästi koronapandemian aikana.
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11510712
Tomi Engdahl says:
Flu Season and Covid-19 Are About to Collide. Now What?
Hospitals in the US are already stressed. Now, they must brace for a wave of flu patients needing more beds, lab tests, and ventilators.
https://www.wired.com/story/flu-season-and-covid-19-are-about-to-collide-now-what/
In parts of the United States, autumn is coming. The mornings have a coolness. The dogwood leaves show an edge of color. And outside pharmacies, the banners of fall are appearing: “Flu shots here.”
This year in particular, health authorities hope Americans will listen. The overlap of the influenza season and the coronavirus pandemic could overwhelm the health care system if people don’t take the vaccine and the incidence of flu is high. Planners are worried about renewed pressure on hospital beds and protective equipment, and less visible pressure on laboratories, which have to use the same machinery and supplies to analyze diagnostic tests for both Covid-19 and flu.
“Coronavirus and influenza are going to compete for the same ER space, the same hospital beds, the same ICU beds, the same ventilators, the same personal protective equipment, the same staff,” says Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security who also works in several Pennsylvania hospitals as an infectious disease and critical care physician. “It’s going to be extremely difficult in terms of hospital surge planning and capacity.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
How clean is the air on planes?
High-tech filters and low-tech masks: How technology and personal responsibility might make flying safer than you think.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/2020/08/how-clean-is-the-air-on-your-airplane-coronavirus-cvd/?cmpid=org=ngp::mc=crm-email::src=ngp::cmp=editorial::add=Travel_20200901&rid=B98B5AFE5A88E5B9ABADB62AF9795884
Tomi Engdahl says:
Yksi tartutti koronan 23:lle bussimatkalla – tutkija: Suomessa ilmateitse leviämistä ei edelleenkään oteta vakavasti
Kiinassa tehty tutkimus osoitti, että kierrätetty sisäilma tartutti lukuisat matkustajat linja-autossa.
https://www.iltalehti.fi/koronavirus/a/5718347c-0b34-4170-8cff-7d060769f4d4
Tomi Engdahl says:
C.D.C. Tells States How to Prepare for Covid-19 Vaccine by Early November
As President Trump pushes the possibility of a vaccine this year, the C.D.C. has outlined technical scenarios to state public health officials for an unidentified Vaccine A and Vaccine B.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/02/health/covid-19-vaccine-cdc-plans.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has notified public health officials in all 50 states and five large cities to prepare to distribute a coronavirus vaccine to health care workers and other high-risk groups as soon as late October or early November.
The new C.D.C. guidance is the latest sign of an accelerating race for a vaccine to ease a pandemic that has killed more than 184,000 Americans. The documents were sent out on the same day that President Trump told the nation in his speech to the Republican National Convention that a vaccine might arrive before the end of the year.
Over the past week, both Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, and Dr. Stephen Hahn, who heads the Food and Drug Administration, have said in interviews with news organizations that a vaccine may be available for certain groups before clinical trials have been completed, if the data is overwhelmingly positive.
But the possibility of a rollout in late October or early November has heightened concerns that the Trump administration is seeking to rush the distribution of a vaccine — or simply to hype that one is possible — before Election Day on Nov. 3.
The C.D.C. plans lay out technical specifications for two candidates described as Vaccine A and Vaccine B, including requirements for shipping, mixing, storage and administration. The details seem to match the products developed by Pfizer and Moderna, which are the furthest along in late-stage clinical trials. On Aug. 20, Pfizer said it was “on track” for seeking government review “as early as October 2020.”
“This timeline of the initial deployment at the end of October is deeply worrisome for the politicization of public health and the potential safety ramifications,” said Saskia Popescu, an infection prevention epidemiologist based in Arizona. “It’s hard not to see this as a push for a pre-election vaccine.”
The guidance noted that health care professionals, including long-term care employees, would be among the first to receive the product, along with other essential workers and national security employees. People 65 or older, as well as Native Americans and those who are from “racial and ethnic minority populations” or incarcerated — all communities known to be at greater risk of contracting the virus and experiencing severe disease — were also prioritized in the documents.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google declares Maps COVID-19-ready after retraining it on pandemic traffic – or the lack of it in some areas
50 per cent decrease in worldwide traffic when lockdowns started
https://www.theregister.com/2020/09/03/google_maps_covid/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Johann Lau / The Keyword:
Google Maps is prioritizing traffic patterns from the last 2 to 4 weeks to predict traffic amid lockdowns and working with DeepMind to accurately predict ETAs — Every day, over 1 billion kilometers are driven with Google Maps in more than 220 countries and territories around the world.
Google Maps 101: How AI helps predict traffic and determine routes
https://blog.google/products/maps/google-maps-101-how-ai-helps-predict-traffic-and-determine-routes/