COVID–19 Headlines April 15, 2020

Posted on April 15, 2020April 25, 2020 by Jesse Santiano, M.D.

This page list headlines related to the COVID-19 pandemic from all over the world. The will update all day time permitting. Check frequently to be current. Click on the ads to help support the website.

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Latest articles:

Yale University’s Take on Cloth Masks for Everyone

Zero Death and only 267 COVID-19 in Vietnam. Here’s why.

New Zealand has one of the lowest Covid-19 Death Rates at 0.3 %. Here’s what they did.

COVID-19 Headlines

Los Angeles mayor says no concerts or sporting events in city until 2021

Garcetti said unless there is a vaccine or a pharmaceutical intervention, there won’t be mass gatherings like concerts and sporting events in Los Angeles until next year.

Will the Pandemic get Better with Warm Weather?

North Dakota reports highest daily increase of coronavirus cases-CNN

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum announced Wednesday 24 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, the highest daily increase in North Dakota since the pandemic began.

7 pm update. An increase of 43,375 cases and 4,686 deaths. Death rate continues to increase at 6.5%.

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Coronavirus: fewer deaths seen in countries with mandatory tuberculosis vaccinations

A new study has found a correlation between countries that require citizens to get the TB vaccine and those with fewer cases and deaths

The vaccine is believed to sensitise the immune system in such a way that it is better able to respond to a coronavirus pathogen attack

Vitamin C and COVID-19

Any Science behind Elderberry for Influenza and COVID-19?

Zinc Deficiency Impairs the Immune System

Could existing vaccines help fight Covid-19? Researchers are trying to find out

Correlation between mass vaccination programmes and coronavirus statistics is promising but needs further investigation

Vaccines against tuberculosis, polio and rubella are all being studied as potential weapons in pandemic

Việt Nam now has 168 recovered COVID-19 patients

HÀ NỘI — Another 22 COVID-19 cases, including five foreign patients and 17 Vietnamese patients, have recovered and been discharged from the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hà Nội and the Củ Chi field hospital in HCM City, on Tuesday.

The new recoveries have brought the country’s total number of cured cases to 168, making up 63.4 per cent of the total 265 COVID-19 patients in Việt Nam.

At the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases, there are 17 recovered patients, including two foreign patients and 15 Vietnamese patients.

Zero Death and only 267 COVID-19 in Vietnam. Here’s why.

Connecticut governor announces new mask guidelines

“It’s time for us to be also really strict about the need to wear a mask, even masks you make yourself, just a bandana, a scarf, or a surgical mask,” he said.

Yale University’s Take on Cloth Masks for Everyone

COVID-19 VITROS® Total Antibody Test FDA Authorized

Ortho’s Total Antibody Test for COVID-19 Receives Emergency Use Authorization from FDA. This test is one of the first high-throughput, automated* COVID-19 antibody tests to be granted Emergency Use Authorization.

Chembio Announces Launch of DPP COVID-19 Serological Point-of-Care Test

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y., March 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Chembio Diagnostics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CEMI), a leading point-of-care diagnostic company focused on infectious diseases, today announced the U.S. launch of the rapid DPP COVID-19 serological point-of-care test for the detection of IgM and IgG antibodies. These results can be obtained within 15 minutes from a simple finger stick

Coronavirus: India’s doctors come under attack as virus stigma grows-SCMP

Medical workers have been attacked elsewhere as people panic about catching the Covid-19 disease, but the situation is particularly bad in India

Trust in the health care system was already low, misinformation is ubiquitous on social media and the unprecedented national lockdown has only hurt matters

A dinner table chat between husband and wife may help solve the coronavirus mask shortage-NBC

Late Monday, the Pentagon announced a $415 million contract to commission 60 decontamination systems that will allow millions of highly protective N95 face masks to be reused.

What Doctors on the Front Lines Wish They’d Known a Month Ago-NYT

Ironclad emergency medical practices — about when to use ventilators, for example — have dissolved almost overnight.

Los Angeles will require face masks for all essential errands-CNN

Starting at midnight tonight, Los Angeles residents will be required to wear a face covering or mask while venturing out for essential services, County Supervisor Kathryn Barger told CNN.

“Masks clearly are something that I think is here, and I believe is going to be here for a while,” Barger said.

Yale University’s Take on Cloth Masks for Everyone

In New York, obesity appears to raise COVID-19 risk

A new letter from researchers at New York University shows that obesity is a risk factor for COVID-19 hospitalization in patients under the age of 60. The letter was published yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

12 noon EST update. An increase of 80,702 cases and 9,086 deaths. Death rate of 6.42%

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Abbott says it will distribute new antibody test, which has yet to receive explicit FDA authorization-CNN

Abbott Laboratories announced the release of an antibody test Wednesday that could detect if people have been infected with the novel coronavirus and recovered.

The test could help individuals determine if they had Covid-19 in the past, and could more broadly help determine how widespread the infection is in the United States.

While the test has not been authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration, Abbott is legally allowed to distribute it under regulatory flexibilities issued by the agency.

Can Talking Spread Viruses?

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SARS-CoV-2 Contamination in the Hospital Setting

How Long Can the Covid-19 Virus Survive in Common Surfaces?

Fujifilm ramps up Avigan production-NHK

Fujifilm says it’s ramping up production of the flu drug Avigan. The drug is currently undergoing clinical trials as a possible treatment for symptoms of the coronavirus.

Fujifilm says it expects to increase production to 100,000 treatment courses by July. That’s about 2.5 times more than at the beginning of March, the start of the current production run

Coronavirus: India’s lockdown to last till May 3, fuelling fears of economic catastrophe

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked employers not to fire people but migrant workers and those who rely on them have already taken a hit from the nationwide lockdown

An economist says India’s slowing growth means its economy is ‘poised to fall off a cliff’

Coronavirus: ‘no end in sight’ for Philippines lockdown, Duterte says

Without a vaccine, antibody treatment or effective medicine to treat Covid-19, the country may need to endure two to three waves of infection

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte made the prediction in a late-night televised address that went on until the early hours of the morning

Coronavirus: China launches study into asymptomatic cases and shared immunity-SCMP

China has begun a major survey to determine how many people might have been infected with the coronavirus and then recovered without ever showing symptoms, while also assessing immunity levels within different communities, state media reported.

Search for a COVID-19 vaccine heats up in China, US

WASHINGTON (AP) — Three potential COVID-19 vaccines are making fast progress in early-stage testing in volunteers in China and the U.S., but it’s still a long road to prove if they’ll really work.

China’s CanSino Biologics has begun the second phase of testing its vaccine candidate, China’s Ministry of Science and Technology said Tuesday.

In the U.S., a shot made by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc. isn’t far behind. The first person to receive that experimental vaccine last month returned to a Seattle clinic Tuesday for a second dose.

Experts warn 400,000 coronavirus deaths in Japan-NHK

A team of experts in Japan says more than 400,000 people would die from the new coronavirus nationwide if no measures are taken to contain infections.

The health ministry set up the team to help halt the spread of the virus. They reported their estimate on Wednesday.

SARS-CoV-2 Contamination in the Hospital Setting

How Long Can the Covid-19 Virus Survive in Common Surfaces?

Alcohol Abuse, Covid-19, and Lung Complications

Can’t Smell and Taste Suddenly? It Can be Covid-19!

In the battle against the coronavirus, Japan and the four ‘tiger economies’ offer the world a new ‘Asian miracle’-SCMP

The relatively low infection and death rates in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan are a testament to investment in public health infrastructure, transparency and societies that prioritise group interests

Zero Death and only 267 COVID-19 in Vietnam. Here’s why.

Heroes From a Distance, ‘Lepers’ Up Close?-Medscape

During a recent stop at a gas station, a woman saw me in scrubs, immediately pulled her shirt up over her face, rushed to pass me, and said, “Thank you for what you do, but I don’t want to get sick.”

Would you give up health or location data to return to work?-AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — Cameron Karosis usually strives to protect his personal information. But a scary bout of COVID-19 that began last month with headaches and fevers, progressed to breathing problems and led to a hospital visit has now left him eager to disclose as much as possible to help halt the virus’ spread.

Karosis has already shared personal details with Massachusetts health investigators. And if he was asked to comply with a disease-tracking phone app that monitored his whereabouts but didn’t publicly reveal his name and Cambridge street address, he said he’d do that, too.

Trolls ‘Zoom bomb’ NA meetings as support services move online-SBS

Narcotics Anonymous say online meetings have been subject to ‘Zoom bombing’ as face to face meetings are shut down amid coronavirus social distancing restrictions, with one group reporting trolls claiming to be the Ku Klux Klan crashed one meeting.

Denmark allows some children to return to school-AP

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Denmark is beginning to relax its strict coronavirus lockdown measures by allowing some classes to return nationwide Wednesday to school.

The measure applies only to preschool to fifth grade, while students above that must continue to study online from home.

WHO urges nations to go slowly in easing COVID-19 steps

With COVID-19 activity stabilizing and starting to decline in some of Europe’s hot spots but picking up in some middle- and low-income nations, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned against lifting restrictions too early while also noting that stay-at-home measures may not be practical for poor countries.

Locally-made ventilators introduced in Đà Nẵng-Viet Nam News

ĐÀ NẴNG — A locally-made non-invasive ventilator has been introduced by Đà Nẵng-based private Duy Tân College to help the fight against COVID-19.

Head of the research team, Dr. Lê Hoàng Sinh, said the prototype ventilator was the first product made by the college to help beat the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the materials were sourced locally by engineers from the college.

Sinh said the team is finalising the design to soon put it into mass production at a cost of VNĐ20 million (US$870) each.

The DTU-vent can run on batteries for three hours in case of a power cut, he added.

New coronavirus outbreak hotspots emerging across US

Outbreaks are now erupting across the US, and not just in large metropolitan areas like Chicago and Detroit

From the South to the Midwest to the Great Plains, states are grappling with rising confirmed cases and fatalities

Presymptomatic or Asymptomatic? ID Experts on Shifting Terminology-Medscape

Regarding the shifting thinking on symptoms and transmission of the novel coronavirus, when it comes to presymptomatic or asymptomatic, “pre” is really the right terminology, Carlos del Rio, MD, professor of medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, said during the briefing, because it’s not that people are asymptomatic but that they develop symptoms later and start transmitting the virus 24 to 48 hours before they develop symptoms.

Studies: Hand sanitizers kill COVID-19 virus, e-consults appropriate-CIDRAP

In a study today in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Swiss and German researchers found that alcohol-based hand sanitizers recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) are effective in killing the novel coronavirus.

And a study today in the Annals of Internal Medicine with important COVID-19 ramifications found that 70.2% of 6,512 electronic consultations (e-consults) made by 1,096 referring clinicians to 121 specialists were appropriate.

Any Science behind Elderberry for Influenza and Covid-19?

Asymptomatic is not Always what it Seems

U.S. Drive-Thru Covid-19 Testing Brings Fresh Hope

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Using the 80/20 Principle for Covid-19

10 Things Anyone Can Do to Lower the Covid-19 Death Rate

Coronavirus: Australia investigates ‘illegal dinner party’ after spike in cases-SCMP

News of the social gathering in Tasmania came as authorities in both Australia and New Zealand forecast sharp increases in jobless figures

Both countries have brushed aside calls for an easing of tough restrictions on travel and public gatherings, however, despite apparent successes

Accenture: ‘Every business will be a health business’-BBC

Consultancy firm Accenture says all firms will have to be focused on health even after the coronavirus outbreak ends.

Theme parks taking guests’ temperatures to factories using thermal scanners could become permanent fixtures.

“We used to say every business will be a digital business,” said Gianfranco Casati, Accenture’s chief executive for growth markets.

“But today we say every business will be a health business.”

COVID-19 poised to hit Americas nations with more force-CIDRAP

COVID-19 activity has yet to hit the Americas with full force, especially Latin America and the Caribbean, and countries should prepare for rapid intensification over the next few weeks, the director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) warned today.

Elsewhere, more countries—some trending down and some trending up—extended their lockdown measures, as cases rapidly rose in some African countries and some Asian nations battled resurgences.

China didn’t warn public of likely pandemic for 6 key days

In the six days after top Chinese officials secretly determined they likely were facing a pandemic from a new coronavirus, the city of Wuhan at the epicenter of the disease hosted a mass banquet for tens of thousands of people; millions began traveling through for Lunar New Year celebrations.

President Xi Jinping warned the public on the seventh day, Jan. 20. But by that time, more than 3,000 people had been infected during almost a week of public silence, according to internal documents obtained by The Associated Press and expert estimates based on retrospective infection data.

4:30 am EST. The Case fatality rate continues to rise at 6.38%.

France’s rate of coronavirus infections, deaths accelerating again

PARIS (Reuters) – France said its total death toll from COVID-19 infections rose above 15,000 on Tuesday, becoming the fourth country to exceed that threshold after Italy, Spain and the United States, while the rate of increase in cases and fatalities is re-accelerating.

But the number of people in intensive care units fell to 6,730 from 6,821 over 24 hours – declining for a sixth consecutive day, suggesting the national lockdown put in place on March 17 is having some success in containing the disease.

Coronavirus: South Korea holds elections in masks and clinics-BBC

South Korea is holding an election unlike any other.

Voters must come wearing masks and stand at least 1m apart. They will have their temperature taken, disinfect their hands and wear plastic gloves.

Only then will they be given their voting slip and be allowed to head into the booth to cast their ballot.

Singapore makes face masks compulsory as coronavirus infections surge to 3,252 amid mass testing of migrant workers-SCMP

Flouting the new rule will result in an initial fine of US$212, according to authorities

The government has warned cases will keep rising as migrant workers – who make up more than 40 per cent of all patients – are tested

States map out reopening of economies, say crisis not over

WASHINGTON (AP) — Governors around the U.S. began sketching out plans Tuesday to reopen their economies in a slow and methodical process to prevent the coronavirus from rebounding with tragic consequences, as President Donald Trump appeared to back off his claim of absolute authority to determine when to end social distancing guidelines.

If the states open too soon, then cases will shoot up again.

With ventilators running out, doctors say the machines are overused for Covid-19-STAT

Even as hospitals and governors raise the alarm about a shortage of ventilators, some critical care physicians are questioning the widespread use of the breathing machines for Covid-19 patients, saying that large numbers of patients could instead be treated with less intensive respiratory support.

If the iconoclasts are right, putting coronavirus patients on ventilators could be of little benefit to many and even harmful to some.

What’s driving this reassessment is a baffling observation about Covid-19: Many patients have blood oxygen levels so low they should be dead. But they’re not gasping for air, their hearts aren’t racing, and their brains show no signs of blinking off from lack of oxygen.

Amid talk of reopening, Fauci warns US not there yet with COVID-19-CIDRAP

In an interview today with the Associated Press, Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said opening up the nation on May 1 is “a bit overly optimistic.”

His comments come a day after President Donald Trump announced a new reopening task force, meant to help guide the country back to economic health after the national COVID-19 Apr 30 physical distancing campaign ends. In a heated back-and-forth with reporters, yesterday Trump said that only the president has the ability to call the shots on when and how to reopen the country.

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