Tag Archives: COVID-19

COVID-19 Precautions

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Health experts continue to urge Americans to take precautions against spreading and contracting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) more seriously.

As of July 20, 2020, more than 3,784,900 people in the United States have been infected with the coronavirus and at least 140,300 have died, according to a New York Times (#NYT) database.

As COVID-19 infection numbers are surging throughout most of the United States, everyone, especially older adults over the age of 65 and others with pre-existing conditions, should take steps to protect themselves from getting and spreading COVID-19. In general, your risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19 increases as you get older. In fact, 8 out of 10 COVID-19-related deaths reported in the United States have been among adults aged 65 years and older.

Since there is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19, the best and most effective way to prevent contracting the illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. There are more than 160 vaccines being researched, developed and tested against the coronavirus, and 26 vaccines are in human trials. Four (4) potential vaccines are currently in large scale phase III efficacy trials according to the New York Times.

Everyone is at risk for getting COVID-19 if they are exposed to the virus. The virus spreads primarily through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. These droplets can land in the mouths, noses or eyes of people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).

Recent studies have shown that #COVID-19 can spread by people who are asymptomatic (not showing symptoms). To arrest the community spread of COVID-19, you should:

  • Wear a cloth face mask to cover your mouth and nose in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household.
  • Keep 6 feet (2 meters) of distance between yourself and people who don’t live in your household. It’s important to remember that infected people without symptoms are able to spread virus.
  • Avoid touching your face, specifically your mouth, nose or eyes.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
  • Prioritize outdoor venues over indoor spaces if you must go out,
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily.
  • Monitor your health daily and be alert for COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, headache, or loss of smell.

How well a community as a whole does all of that could dictate how bad things get during the current resurgence.

References:

  1. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
  2. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/older-adults.html
  3. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/science/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker.html

Goldman Sachs’ Analysis Shows Economic Benefits of Wearing Masks

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“The fate of many lives, not to mention the U.S. and global economy, largely depends on the containment of the novel COVID-19 coronavirus.” Goldman Sachs

  • Cloth face coverings may help prevent people who have COVID-19 from spreading the virus to others.(2)
  • Cloth face coverings are most likely to reduce the spread of COVID-19 when they are widely used by people in public settings.(2)

According to a recent analysis by U.S. investment bank, Goldman Sachs, there’s one simple thing Americans can do that would boost U.S. GDP and make a huge difference to the economy, American jobs, and overall prosperity.

Illustration of people wearing cloth face masks

Goldman Sachs’ analysis, led by its chief economist Jan Hatzius, concluded that “a universal mask-wearing order can improve the U.S. GDP by a huge five percentage points”.  And according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “cloth face coverings are recommended as a simple barrier to help prevent respiratory droplets from traveling into the air and onto other people when the person wearing the cloth face covering coughs, sneezes, talks, or raises their voice”.

Goldman agrees with the emerging scientific evidence that “face masks are associated with significantly better coronavirus outcomes.”  And, based on the growing evidence, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has expanded its mask guidance stating that Americans should wear them in all “public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain”.

Goldman’s analysis concludes “a national face mask order could increase face mask-wearing by 15 percentage points, reducing the transmission growth rate of confirmed cases from 1.6% to 0.6%”. Goldman concludes that “increased face-masking would substitute for local lock downs and social distancing, which caused U.S. GDP to decline 17% between January and April”.

While anecdotal evidence does suggest strongly that universal mask-wearing can greatly benefit the economy and save lives, it has been difficult to convince Americans of this fact.  As a result of not mandating a national face mask-wearing, there has been a resurgence of COVID-19 inflections and hospitalizations in a number of southern and western states in the U.S.

From a medical expert perspective, “if everyone in the U.S. wore a mask, the coronavirus pandemic could be under control within four to eight weeks”, was conveyed by Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention director Robert Redfield in a discussion led by medical journal JAMA.

In summary, Goldman Sachs’ analysis suggests that the economic benefit from “adopting a national face mask mandate and increased face mask usage” could be sizable, especially when compared with the alternative of a return to broader societal lock downs and increasing COVID-19 infections.

Sources:

  1. https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/goldman-sachs-says-this-simple-measure-can-save-lives-and-the-economy-2020-07-14
  2. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html
  3. https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/pages/face-masks-and-gdp.html
  4. https://apple.news/ApjIDbf3mR_u11IZp8goONw

Coronavirus Rates Surge in West and South

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Several U.S. states continue to set daily records for coronavirus infections as outbreaks surge mostly across the South and West. As of Tuesday, at least 35 states are seeing increases in daily coronavirus cases. The increases are particularly steep Florida, Arizona, California, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas. Many of the states are reporting more cases than they’ve ever seen on a daily basis.

Those regions are experiencing higher seven day average infection rates and hospitalizations. The spike in new cases that have outpaced daily infection rates experienced in April.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has proven to be the type of virus that epidemiologists have always feared. The virus spreads easily, no one appears to have immunity to it and it’s much more stealthier than expected. The severity of COVID-19 symptoms can range from very mild to severe. Most people experience only a few minor symptoms, and some people experience no symptoms at all.

With the current level of spread in the West and South, Americans should expect this virus to continue to circulate. Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases and the top U.S. infectious diseases expert, has warned that unless the current trend shifts, the U.S. could see its daily number of new coronavirus cases rise to 100,000 from its current level of around 40,000. However, people can help to curb the spread of infection by:

  • Practicing social physical distancing (6 feet or 2 meters)
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
  • Cover your face (nose and mouth) with a cloth mask in public spaces.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
  • Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces, such as doorknobs, light switches, electronics and counters, daily.
  • Stay home from work, school and public areas if you’re infected, unless you’re going to get medical care.

Yet, it’s important to understand, according to Dr. Fauci, that the only way to successfully stop the spread of the coronavirus will be an effective vaccine that proves safe and has shown some efficacy by creating coronavirus neutralizing antibodies in people. There are currently 17 potential SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in clinical trials being tested on human patients across the globe.

References:

  1. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/29/cdc-says-us-has-way-too-much-virus-to-control-pandemic-as-cases-surge-across-country.html?__source=iosappshare%7Ccom.microsoft.onenote.shareextension
  2. https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2020/06/30/Dr-Fauci-warns-US-COVID-19-cases-could-reach-100000-a-day/1971593516091/
  3. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/symptoms-causes/syc-20479963

Heart Disease Leading Cause of Death in the United States

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“Do Your Part, Care for Your Heart”

There is a silent and deadly pandemic raging in America every year. That pandemic kills on average more than fifty thousand Americans each month. That silent pandemic is called Heart Disease.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. More than 610,000 Americans die of heart disease each year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That’s one in every four deaths in this country.

Almost 70 percent of Americans are afraid of dying of cardiovascular heart disease. Despite this, only 38 percent know or monitor their blood pressure, and just 18 percent know their body mass index (BMI), both of which are essential factors in overall heart health. So, it’s clear that more Americans need to know their numbers and keep their blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar at normal levels. They need to learn more about heart health and how they can manage their risks.

The term “heart disease” refers to several types of cardiovasculaheart conditions. The most common type is coronary artery disease, which can cause heart attack. Other kinds of heart disease may involve the valves in the heart, or the heart may not pump well and cause heart failure. Some people are born with heart disease.

Americans at Risk for Heart Disease

Heart disease occurs when a substance called plaque builds up in your arteries. As plaque builds up in the arteries of a person with heart disease, the inside of the arteries begins to narrow, which lessens or blocks the flow of blood to the heart. Plaque can also rupture (break open). When it does, a blood clot can form on the plaque, blocking the flow of blood.

Smoking, eating an unhealthy diet, and not getting enough exercise all increase your risk for having heart disease. High blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease. About half of Americans (47%) have at least one of these three risk factors.

Several other medical conditions and lifestyle choices can also put people at a higher risk for heart disease, including:

  • Diabetes
  • Overweight and obesity
  • Unhealthy diet
  • Physical inactivity
  • Excessive alcohol use

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States, including African American, American Indian, Alaska Native, Hispanic, and white men.

A healthy heart comes from lots of little lifestyle changes that become a habit. And, heart-healthy lifestyle changes can help lower your risk for complications. A heart-healthy lifestyle is all about listening to your heart and giving it what it needs to thrive (even if that means ignoring your stomach’s request for a second donut). A healthy heart is a reward that’s well worth some minor lifestyle changes.

Your doctor also may prescribe medication to treat the disease. Talk with your doctor about the best ways to reduce your heart disease risk.

Think fitness.

Spending time in natural environments can benefit health and well-being.

There’s plenty of science establishing the health benefits of exercise, particularly outdoors. A 2019 Scientific Reports study of nearly 20,000 Britons showed people who spent at least two hours per week in nature were far more likely to report good health and well-being than those who didn’t.

Think healthy eating.

The slogan…”healthy eating for a strong heart beating” is one to live by. You can lower your risk of heart disease by making several small changes at each meal and by choosing foods that are good for your heart. Eating a healthy diet of whole grains, high fiber and lean sources of protein, and exercising at least 30 minutes daily can help control or delay age-related health problems associated with aging, like high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

Most standard American diets are based on foods you shouldn’t eat. Instead, Americans should focus on foods that are good for your heart. They should eat more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. The fiber in these foods helps lower “bad” LDL cholesterol. They should eat more beans, legumes (like lentils), seeds, and nuts. Additionally, Americans should:

  • Put healthier fats to work for you.
  • Favor unsaturated fats, such as canola, olive, and peanut oils.
  • Eat fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, including albacore tuna, salmon, and sardines. Omega-3s seem to lower triglycerides, fight plaque in your arteries, lower blood pressure, and reduce your risk of abnormal heart rhythms.
  • Eat lean protein.
  • Make beans, nuts, fish, and chicken your mainstays, and keep portions in check.
  • The American Heart Association suggests you eat at least two 3.5-ounce servings of fish a week.

Think canine companionship.

Dog ownership is associated with decreased cardiovascular risk and with lower risk of death over the long term.

Many studies have linked dog ownership to health benefits, including more exercise, lower blood pressure, improved lipid profile, and reduced stress. A meta-analysis published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation in 2019 examined 10 studies over seven decades involving nearly 4 million people. It concluded dog owners had a 24% lower risk of death from any cause than their petless peers during the course of the studies.

Be heart smart.

Make smart choices and improve your heart health. It’s about individuals taking care of their own hearts every day. Everyone can benefit by following heart-healthy practices:

  1. Exercise regularly (at least 2.5 hours per week).
  2. Quit smoking.
  3. Lose weight.
  4. Know your BMI, blood pressure and A1C.
  5. Eat heart-friendly foods.
  6. Eat chocolate and drink wine (in moderation).
  7. Don’t overeat.
  8. Learn to manage stress.

The fight for heart health awareness truly is just that: a fight. Heart disease is a formidable foe that’s responsible for almost 25 percent of all deaths in the U.S., more than any other cause of death.

Our health-care system would not be so overwhelmed by COVID-19 right now if it was not already overwhelmed with preventable chronic illnesses. About 75 percent of the $2.2 trillion we spend on health care each year goes to treat chronic illness like heart disease, the Centers for Disease Control estimates. And, it is estimated that 40 to 70 percent of those illnesses could be prevented.

In 2018 the United States shelled out $329 billion to treat heart disease and strokes, the American Heart Association calculated. About 80 percent of those cases — $263 billion worth — were caused by poor diet, lack of exercise, alcohol use and obesity.

References:

  1. https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fdhdsp%2Fdata_statistics%2Ffact_sheets%2Ffs_heart_disease.htm
  2. https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/docs/ConsumerEd_HeartDisease.pdf
  3. https://www.heart.org/en/news/2020/06/10/instead-of-a-tie-think-about-healthy-gifts-and-gratitude-for-fathers-day
  4. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/epub/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.119.005554

Military service academies plan for students’ return in fall | Military Times

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“We cannot develop leaders for our nation’s military online”. Vice Admiral Sean Buck, USN, Superintendent, U.S. Naval Academy, Class of 1982.

The U.S. Naval Academy is planning to have its 4,400 midshipmen return to campus in Annapolis, Maryland, for the fall, after students completed the last semester with online learning from their homes around the nation due to the coronavirus, academy officials said Monday.

Vice Adm. Sean Buck, the superintendent, told the academy’s Board of Visitors he has been communicating with the leaders of the nation’s other service academies, and they also plan to have their students on campus in the fall.

“I can tell you, as of this morning, every single military service academy in this country is opening in the fall,” Buck told the board in an online meeting. “We all are developing very detailed plans with regards to health, safety and the protocols that we need to put in place to manage risk.”

While academics can be done online, Buck said the other two pillars of the academy’s mission statement are developing midshipmen morally and physically, and those goals require hands-on experiences on campus.

Read more: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2020/06/01/military-service-academies-plan-for-students-return-in-fall/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=Socialflow+MIL&utm_medium=social

Berkshire Hathaway sells Airline Position

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“In 2008 and ’09, our economic train went off the tracks. This time, we just pulled the train off the tracks and put it on a siding.” Warren Buffett

During their annual shareholders meeting, Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett explains to shareholders and to the financial markets why the conglomerate sold its entire stake in four U.S. airlines.

https://youtu.be/VDE9ckVnu_M

During the virtual shareholders meeting, Buffett commented that although he believes that they are “well managed”, “The world has changed for the airlines”, to explain why Berkshire sold its stakes in the “big four” U.S. airline carriers in April.

“Fear is the most contagious disease you can imagine. It makes the virus look like a piker.” Warren Buffett

Airlines are receiving government aid to remain operational amid declines of more than 90% in domestic and international air travel.

References:

  1. https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/warren-buffett-25-best-quotes-berkshire-hathaway-annual-meeting-2020-5-1029160195

Coronavirus Relief Often Pays Workers More Than Work | Wall Street Journal

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When combined with state benefits, weekly government payouts create incentives that employers say complicate efforts to reopen businesses

Roughly half of all U.S. workers stand to earn more in unemployment benefits than they did at their jobs before the coronavirus pandemic shut down wide swaths of the U.S. economy, and employers say the government relief is complicating plans to reopen businesses.

The package of coronavirus stimulus laws Congress passed and President Trump signed in March included a $600 boost to weekly unemployment benefits through July 31. As that support is added to state benefits over the coming weeks, the average weekly payment to a laid-off worker should rise to about $978 from the $377.97 the Labor Department said was paid on average late last year.

Qualified workers will receive the government payout every week through July, and in most cases, the combined $978 weekly payout amounts to better pay than what many workers received before the crisis hit. Labor Department statistics show half of full-time workers earned $957 or less a week in the first quarter of 2020.

Read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-relief-often-pays-workers-more-than-work-11588066200

Additional information:

  1. https://www.usa.gov/unemployment#item-214601
  2. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-secret-group-of-scientists-and-billionaires-pushing-trump-on-a-covid-19-plan-11587998993?mod=trending_now_1

Dr. David Katz | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)

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Dr. Katz believes the fight against coronavirus is worse than the disease

Preventive medicine and public health specialist Dr. David Katz joins Bill Maher to discuss whether the fight against coronavirus is worse than the disease.

Dr. Katz wrote a New York Times op-ed on March 20 titled “Is Our Fight Against Coronavirus Worse Than the Disease?”

In the op-ed, Katz argues against the self-isolation policies put in place by most of the U.S. He advises that instead locking down the country; we should isolate the elderly and most at risk, which would thus “allow most of society to return to life as usual and perhaps prevent vast segments of the economy from collapsing”.

Nearly All NYC COVID-19 Patients Hospitalized had Chronic Health Issues

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Study finds Nearly All Patients Hospitalized With Covid-19 Had Chronic Health Issues

A new Journal of American Medical Assoication study of thousands of hospitalized coronavirus patients in the New York City area has found that nearly all of them had at least one major chronic health condition, and most — 88 percent — had at least two.

Though earlier research has shown chronic conditions like obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes are common risk factors for severe Covid-19, the ubiquity of serious medical conditions in these patients was striking: Only 6 percent of them had no underlying health conditions.

The researchers reported that when patients first came to the hospital and were triaged, 17 percent had an abnormal respiratory rate of more than 24 breaths per minute, and 28 percent received supplemental oxygen.

But fewer than one third of the patients had a fever, even though they were sick enough to be hospitalized, a similar observation to one noted by a large Chinese study.

This indicates that taking people’s temperatures in order to screen them for the coronavirus is likely to miss many people who are not only asymptomatic but also acutely ill.

Nearly 60 percent of those hospitalized at the Northwell facilities had high blood pressure, 40 percent were obese, and about one-third had diabetes. Smaller numbers of patients suffered from other chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, kidney disease and chronic respiratory illnesses.

The study included 5,700 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the New York City area, the most common comorbidities [simultaneous presence of two chronic diseases or conditions in a patient] were hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. Among patients who were discharged or died (sample size (n) = 2,634 patients), 14.2% were treated in the intensive care unit, 12.2% received invasive mechanical ventilation, 3.2% were treated with kidney replacement therapy, and 21% died.

References:

  1. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/23/health/coronavirus-patients-risk.html?referringSource=articleShare
  2. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2765184

The 6 Feet Office | Cushman & Wakefield

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Helping Adjust to a New COVID-19 Normal

Cushman & Wakefield has begun visualizing life after the COVID-19 lockdowns and ‘stay at home’ orders come to an end. From their prospective, it is important for employers to think about the new normal and how they plan to adjust once people return to the workplace.

“The 6 feet rule” isn’t going away any time soon and it is critical to normalize this guideline into everyday life. Eventually, Americans will return to the workplace, but they must not forget the ‘six foot’ physical distancing rule.

The core premise is to ensure that six feet, the recommended measurement for safe social distancing, stays between people at all times. This behavior is encouraged through properly spaced desks, but also visual signals, such as a circle embedded in the carpeting around each desk to ensure people don’t get too close.

Cushman & Wakefield Introduces the 6 Feet Office. 

The 6 Feet Office is Cushman & Wakefield’s conceptual idea to help their clients prepare for their employees to return to the office. 

Cushman & Wakefield: 6 FEET OFFICE CONCEPT CONSISTS OF SIX ELEMENTS:

  1. 6 Feet Quick Scan: A concise but thorough analysis of the current working environment in the field of virus safety and any other opportunities for improvement.
  2. 6 Feet Rules: A set of simple and clear workable agreements and rules of conduct that put the safety of everyone first.
  3. 6 Feet Routing: A visually displayed and unique routing for each office, making traffic flows completely safe.
  4. 6 Feet Workstation: An adapted and fully equipped workplace at which the user can work safely.
  5. 6 Feet Facility: A trained employee who advises on and operationally ensures an optimally functioning and safe facility environment.
  6. 6 Feet Certificate: A certificate stating that measures have been taken to implement a virus-safe working environment.

References:

  1. https://www.cushmanwakefield.com/en/netherlands/six-feet-office
  2. https://www.fastcompany.com/90488060/our-offices-will-never-be-the-same-after-covid-19-heres-what-they-could-look-like