Written by Steven Hansen
The U.S. new cases 7-day rolling average are 22.1 % LOWER than the 7-day rolling average one week ago and U.S. deaths due to coronavirus are now 17.4 % LOWER than the rolling average one week ago. Today’s posts include:
- U.S. Coronavirus New Cases are 4,063
- U.S. Coronavirus deaths are at 90
- Taibbi: Why Has “Ivermectin” Become A Dirty Word?
- Early-Stage Covid Treatment Prospects: Merck/Ridgeback Bio And Starpharma Lead The Pack
- COVID-19 vaccination coverage for younger Americans lagging behind older adults: CDC study
- Study reviews natural drug candidates for potential treatment of COVID-19
- University Of Florida Lab Finds Dangerous Pathogens On Children’s Face Masks
- Early-Stage Covid Treatment Prospects: Merck/Ridgeback Bio And Starpharma Lead The Pack
- Unreported: 4 British airline pilots die after getting Covid jab
- Plus a lot more headlines …
include($_SERVER[‘DOCUMENT_ROOT’].’/pages/coronavirus1.htm’); ?>
Hospitalizations Are The Only Accurate Gauge
Hospitalizations historically appear to be little affected by weekends or holidays. The hospitalization growth rate trend continues to improve.
source: https://gis.cdc.gov/grasp/covidnet/COVID19_3.html
Historically, hospitalization growth follows new case growth by one to two weeks.
As an analyst, I use the rate of growth to determine the trend. But, the size of the pandemic is growing in terms of real numbers – and if the rate of growth does not become negative – the pandemic will overwhelm all resources.
The graph below shows the rate of growth relative to the growth a week earlier updated through today [note that negative numbers mean the rolling averages are LOWER than the rolling averages one week ago]. As one can see, the rate of growth for new cases peaked in early December 2020 for Thanksgiving, and early January 2021 for end-of-year holidays – and it now shows that the coronavirus effect is improving.
In the scheme of things, new cases decline first, followed by hospitalizations, and then deaths. The potential fourth wave did not materialize likely due to immunizations.
Coronavirus and Recovery News You May Have Missed
University Of Florida Lab Finds Dangerous Pathogens On Children’s Face Masks – ZeroHedge
A laboratory at the University of Florida that recently analyzed a small sample of face masks, detected the presence of 11 dangerous pathogens that included bacterias that cause diphtheria, pneumonia, and meningitis.
Gainesville parents in Florida concerned about the harm caused to their children wearing face masks all day at school in 90 °F weather sent out six masks—five that were worn by children ages 6 to 11 for five to eight hours at school, and one worn by an adult—to be analyzed for contaminants at the University of Florida’s Mass Spectrometry Research and Education Center.
Of the six masks, three were surgical, two cotton, and a poly gaiter. Masks that have not been worn and a t-shirt worn at school acted as the control samples.
Five of the masks were found to be contaminated with parasites, fungi, and bacteria, according to Rational Ground. Only one mask was found to contain a virus that can cause a fatal systemic disease in cattle and deer. Other less harmful pathogens that can cause ulcers, acne, and strep throat were also detected.
None of the controls were contaminated with pathogens, while “samples from the front top and bottom of the t-shirt found proteins that are commonly found in skin and hair, along with some commonly found in soil.”
Early-Stage Covid Treatment Prospects: Merck/Ridgeback Bio And Starpharma Lead The Pack – Seeking Alpha
- Merck/Ridgeback Bio partnership on tablet form of antiviral molnuparivir attracts US Government interest for early-stage COVID treatment.
- Starpharma’s Viraleze for prevention and early-stage COVID treatment as a nasal spray gets traction in Europe and India.
- Monoclonal antibody-based treatments are more speculative and likely to be very expensive.
- Investment in early-stage treatments limited as Ridgeback Bio is private and Merck too big for molnuparivir to affect its share price. Opportunity with Starpharma (Viraleze and other areas) as it is unloved currently.
Inventor of mRNA Interviewed About Injection Dangers – Mercola
- Dr. Robert Malone invented the mRNA and DNA vaccine core platform technology. He has grave concerns about the lack of transparency of side effects, censoring of discussion and the lack of informed consent that these bring
- Free SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is biologically active — contrary to initial assumptions — and causes severe problems. It is responsible for the most severe effects seen in COVID-19, such as bleeding disorders, blood clots throughout the body and heart problems. These are the same problems we now see in a staggering number of people who have received the COVID-19 “vaccine”
- The spike protein also has reproductive toxicity, and Pfizer’s biodistribution data show it accumulates in women’s ovaries. Data suggests the miscarriage rate among women who get the COVID “vaccine” within the first 20 weeks of pregnancy is 82%
- Israeli data show boys and men between the ages of 16 and 24 who have been vaccinated have 25 times the rate of myocarditis (heart inflammation) than normal
- The COVID-19 injections have emergency use authorization only, which can only be granted if there are no safe and effective remedies available. Such remedies do exist, but have been actively censored and suppressed
Benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the complications, long-term effects of the disease – News-Medical
An international study, headed by Antonio Hernández, Professor of the Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology of the University of Granada (UGR), has reviewed the assessment reports of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) regarding the Coronavirus vaccines produced by Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca.
The UGR scientists paid particular attention to the safety information from pre-clinical (animal) and clinical (phase-3 trials) dosing studies. They also considered the results of the mass vaccination campaigns in Spain and the United Kingdom to date.
Should we be concerned about the on-going vaccination drive? The principal investigator of this study, Antonio Hernández, clarifies the situation: “For our part, as the researchers, the answer is that we should not worry because the risk/benefit balance of implementing COVID-19 vaccination on a mass scale in the European Union is favorable. The benefits far outweigh the potential complications and long-term effects of actually having the disease”, he explains.
This conclusion is also valid even in light of the more serious incidents reported in the case of some vaccines, such as the blood clots associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine, “which are extraordinarily rare, while similar thrombotic complications are much more frequent among those who contract the disease,” he continues.
COVID-19 vaccination coverage for younger Americans lagging behind older adults: CDC study – The Hill
COVID-19 vaccination coverage for younger Americans has lagged behind rates for older adults, even since the vaccine became available to all adults nationally in mid-April, according to a study released on Monday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study determined that 80 percent of those aged 65 and older had received at least one vaccine dose by May 22, compared to 38.3 percent of those aged 18 to 29. Overall, 57 percent of American adults received at least one dose by then.
Vaccine coverage has also increased more slowly among younger adults compared to among older ones, according to the study.
Researchers predicted if current vaccination rates continue through August, coverage for young adults will “remain substantially lower than among older adults,” meaning the age group will be more at risk for cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
Unreported: 4 British airline pilots die after getting Covid jab – World Tribune
… In a vague June 17 Twitter post, British airways said: “Sadly four members of our pilot community passed away recently. Our thoughts are with their family and friends. However, there is no truth whatsoever in the claims on social media speculating that the four deaths are linked.”
Reuters moved swiftly in an attempt to bury the story, issuing a June 17 “fact check,” which did nothing to counter the fact that four healthy pilots died after getting the jab, but only reported the comment in the recording which said British Airlines was in “crisis talks” over the pilot deaths.
In its “fact check,” Reuters noted: “Reuters presented the claims to British Airways, which said they were unfounded and that no such talks were underway with the government. The spokesperson, however, confirmed the authenticity of the four condolence books, as four company pilots had recently passed away.”
The “fact check” also include a statement from the UK’s Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) which denied any such crisis talks with British Airlines. It also included the obligatory reciting of the narrative that “Our advice remains that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks in the majority of people. It is still vitally important that people come forward for their vaccination and for their second dose when invited to do so.”
“We have not been made aware of deaths of BA pilots after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine and have not had discussions with BA or other airlines, about preventing pilots from flying after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine,” said Dr. Sarah Branch, the director of vigilance and risk management of medicines for the MHRA.
Study reviews natural drug candidates for potential treatment of COVID-19 – News-Medical
A recent paper in the Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences seeks to open up new approaches by reviewing a list of compounds derived from plants and other natural sources, which have potential inhibitory activity against the coronavirus.
… Among these proteases is a papain-like protease (PLpro), essential for viral polyprotein processing and, secondly, for ubiquitin chain cleavage with subsequent inactivation of interferon-stimulated genes. This indicates that compounds that antagonize PLpro could be promising leads for antiviral drug development.
Modified flavonoids such as tomentins from the fruits of Paulownia tomentosa showed inhibitory activity against PLpro, required for viral replication.
Again, Lycoris radiata extract showed antiviral activity, with novel plant chemicals and a high therapeutic index. Similarly, the SARS-CoV 3CLpro was antagonized by the root extract of Isatis indigotica, as well as indigo, sinigrin, aloe emodin, and hesperetin, with sinigrin showing the greatest potency.
Amide derivatives of glycyrrhizin also showed much higher anti-coronavirus activity compared to the parent compound, but at the expense of greater toxicity. Tanshinones also inhibited SARS-CoV papain-like protease (PLpro) and 3CLpro, via inhibition of deubiquitylation.
Complement inhibition
Luteolin is a flavonoid compound present in many plant-based formulations, including Herba Artemisiae, Herba Houttuyniae, and Flos Chrysanthemi Indici. It shows a remarkable ability to antagonize complement activation via both the classical and alternative pathways, thus limiting inflammatory damage.
The role of complement in immune-mediated hyper-inflammation is important in causing systemic injury and respiratory failure in severe COVID-19, making this a promising avenue for future exploration.
[editor’s note: also read Zinc inhibits SARS-CoV-2’s main protease in vitro]
Taibbi: Why Has “Ivermectin” Become A Dirty Word? – TK
On December 8, 2020, when most of America was consumed with what The Guardian called Donald Trump’s “desperate, mendacious, frenzied and sometimes farcical” attempt to remain president, the Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing on the “Medical Response to Covid-19.” One of the witnesses, a pulmonologist named Dr. Pierre Kory, insisted he had great news.
“We have a solution to this crisis,” he said unequivocally.
“There is a drug that is proving to have a miraculous impact.”
On December 8, 2020, when most of America was consumed with what The Guardian called Donald Trump’s “desperate, mendacious, frenzied and sometimes farcical” attempt to remain president, the Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing on the “Medical Response to Covid-19.” One of the witnesses, a pulmonologist named Dr. Pierre Kory, insisted he had great news.
“We have a solution to this crisis,” he said unequivocally.
“There is a drug that is proving to have a miraculous impact.”
… One of the challenges of the pandemic period is the degree to which science has become intertwined with politics. Arguments about the efficacy of mask use or ventilators, or the viability of repurposed drugs like hydroxychloroquine or ivermectin, or even the pandemic’s origins, were quashed from the jump in the American commercial press, which committed itself to a regime of simplified insta-takes made opposite to Donald Trump’s comments. With a few exceptions, Internet censors generally tracked with this conventional wisdom, which had the effect of moving conspiracy theories and real scientific debates alike far underground.
A consequence is that issues like the ivermectin question have ended up in the same public bucket as debates over foreign misinformation, hate speech, and even incitement. The same Republican Senator YouTube suspended for making statements in support of ivermectin, Ron Johnson, has also been denounced in the press for failing to call the January 6th riots an insurrection, resulting in headlines that blend the two putative offenses.
“You have these ideas about the need to censor hate speech, calls for violence, and falsity,” Kory says, “and they’ve put science on the same shelf.”
The following are foreign headlines with hyperlinks to the posts
Vaccine hesitancy puts India’s gains against virus at riskThe Tokyo Olympics will allow spectators (if they live in Japan, and with restrictions).
Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant has emergency shutdown – state TV
Swiss Reject Climate Change With Zoomers And Millennials Leading The Way
An Ebola outbreak in the Republic of Guinea, which began in February, has been declared over by the World Health Organization and the country’s Ministry of Health.
German Lab, J&J Still Hashing Out Details of COVID-19 Vaccine Clot Collaboration
Delta Variant of Coronavirus Seen Dominant in Germany by Autumn
U.S. Has Shared Fewer Than 10 Million Vaccines Despite Biden’s Goal. Officials said that U.S. and legal, logistical and regulatory requirements of the receiving countries are causing a slowdown in the distribution.
Tokyo Olympic Fans Will Not be Allowed to Cheer in Bid to Cut COVID Spread
Only vaccinated fans will be allowed at World Cup 2022, Qatar says.
China denounces the U.S. for shipping vaccine doses to Taiwan.
China has administered more than 1 billion doses of its Covid-19 vaccines
U.S. to split 55 million Covid doses between Latin America, Asia and Africa
Turkey lifts all Covid-19 curfews as vaccination effort continues
Vaccinated Canadians, permanent residents will no longer have to quarantine when entering Canada
The following additional national and state headlines with hyperlinks to the posts
While nearly half of the U.S. population is now fully vaccinated, fewer than 35% of residents in certain states (Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Wyoming) have been fully immunized.
Claudette regaining strength after 13 killed in Alabama
Cargo Is Piling Up Everywhere And It’s Making Inflation Worse
First U.S. Cruise in 15 Months Set to Sail as Restrictions Ease
American Airlines to cut 1% of July flights as travel rebound strains operations
Rogue Hotspot Can “Permanently” Break iPhone WiFi Functionality
VA Secretary Denis McDonough said the VA is moving toward providing gender confirmation surgery for transgender veterans, calling it “the right thing to do.”
An “unprecedented” blood shortage at some New England hospitals, due to fewer donations during the pandemic, has led to surgery delays or rescheduling.
Athira Pharma CEO Leen Kawas, PhD, has been placed on leave while her former university conducts a probe into reports that her research papers included doctored images.
The FDA approved azelastine hydrochloride nasal spray, 0.15% (Astepro), a nasal antihistamine for seasonal and perennial allergies, for over-the-counter use.
Moderna is making plans to bolster production of its COVID-19 vaccine booster shots.
The Supreme Court on Monday ruled unanimously against the NCAA in a dispute over limits placed on education-related compensation that student-athletes can receive. The decision, written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, clears the way for colleges to provide more school-related perks to students like computers, musical instruments and internships, and some legal experts say the case could be a prelude to challenges aimed more broadly at compensation restrictions on college athletes.
COVID-19 vaccine uptake low among pregnant women in U.S., study finds
Study shows a robust immune response to COVID-19 vaccine in breastfeeding health workers
A tapeworm drug against SARS-CoV-2?
U.S. Dips Below 300 COVID Deaths Per Day for First Time since March 2020
American cancels hundreds of flights due to staffing crunch, maintenance issues
Vaccines no longer required to attend New York Buffalo Bills game
Today’s Posts On Econintersect Showing Impact Of The Pandemic and Recovery With Hyperlinks
May 2021 CFNAI Super Index Moving Average Index Improved
Warning to Readers
The amount of politically biased articles on the internet continues. And studies and opinions of the experts continue to contradict other studies and expert opinions. Honestly, it is difficult to believe anything anymore.
I assemble this coronavirus update daily – sifting through the posts on the internet. I try to avoid politically slanted posts (mostly from CNN, New York Times, and the Washington Post) and can usually find unslanted posts on that subject from other sources on the internet. I wait to publish posts on subjects that I cannot validate across several sources. But after all this extra work, I do not know if I have conveyed the REAL facts. It is my job to provide information so that you have the facts necessary – and then it is up to readers to draw conclusions.
Analyst Opinion of Coronavirus Data
There are several takeaways that need to be understood when viewing coronavirus statistical data:
- The global counts are suspect for a variety of reasons including political. Even the U.S. count has issues as it is possible that as much as half the population has had coronavirus and was asymptomatic. It would be a far better metric using a random sampling of the population weekly. In short, we do not understand the size of the error in the tracking numbers.
- Just because some of the methodology used in aggregating the data in the U.S. is flawed – as long as the flaw is uniformly applied – you establish a baseline. This is why it is dangerous to compare two countries as they likely use different methodologies to determine who has (and who died) from coronavirus.
- COVID-19 and the flu are different but can have similar symptoms. COVID-19 so far is much more deadly than the flu. [click here to compare symptoms]
- From an industrial engineering point of view, one can argue that it is best to flatten the curve only to the point that the health care system is barely able to cope. This solution only works if-and-only-if one can catch this coronavirus once and develops immunity. In the case of COVID-19, herd immunity may need to be in the 80% to 85% range. WHO warns that few have developed antibodies to COVID-19 when recovering from COVID-19. Herd immunity does not look like an option as the variants are continuing to look for ways around immunity.
- Older population countries will have a significantly higher death rate as there is relatively few hospitalizations and deaths in younger age groups..
- There are at least 8 strains of the coronavirus.
What we do or do not know about the coronavirus [actually there is little scientifically proven information]. Most of our knowledge is anecdotal, from studies with limited subjects, or from studies without peer review.
- How many people have been infected as many do not show symptoms?
- Masks do work. Unfortunately, early in the pandemic, many health experts — in the U.S. and around the world — decided that the public could not be trusted to hear the truth about masks. Instead, the experts spread a misleading message, discouraging the use of masks.
- Current thinking is that we develop at least 12 months of immunity from further COVID infection.
- The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines have an effectiveness rate of about 95 percent after two doses. That is on par with the vaccines for chickenpox and measles. The 95 percent number understates the effectiveness as it counts anyone who came down with a mild case of Covid-19 as a failure.
- To what degree do people who never develop symptoms contribute to transmission? Research early in the pandemic suggested that the rate of asymptomatic infections could be as high as 81%. But a meta-analysis, which included 13 studies involving 21,708 people, calculated the rate of asymptomatic presentation to be 17%.
- The accuracy of rapid testing is questioned – and the more accurate test results are not being given in a timely manner.
- Can children widely spread coronavirus? [current thinking is that they are a minor source of the pandemic spread]
- Why have some places avoided big coronavirus outbreaks – and others hit hard?
- Air conditioning contributes to the pandemic spread.
- It appears that there is increased risk of infection and mortality for those living in larger occupancy households.
- Male patients have almost three times the odds of requiring intensive treatment unit (ITU) admission compared to females.
- Outdoor activities seem to be a lower risk than indoor activities.
include(“/home/aleta/public_html/files/ad_openx.htm”); ?>
