Coronavirus pandemic

[Scott5114]

A tiger at the Bronx Zoo tested positive...
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/tiger-nycs-bronx-zoo-tests-205150772.html

Now I know why we're having a nationwide test shortage. New York is stealing them all to test zoo animals.

No, New York just knows how to ramp up testing quickly, and they have done so to an extent that they have extra tests available for zoo animals. That's an other state problem, not a NY problem.

So does the Tiger get stuck in quarantine for 14 days and have to practice social distancing?  What about a mask if social distancing can't be avoided?

there are 8 sick tigers, and lack of tests allowed only one to be tested.

WaPo is reporting that a veterinary test kit and lab were used, neither of which could be used for human testing, so no human was deprived of a test because of this.

[kalvado]

A tiger at the Bronx Zoo tested positive...
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/tiger-nycs-bronx-zoo-tests-205150772.html

Now I know why we're having a nationwide test shortage. New York is stealing them all to test zoo animals.

No, New York just knows how to ramp up testing quickly, and they have done so to an extent that they have extra tests available for zoo animals. That's an other state problem, not a NY problem.

So does the Tiger get stuck in quarantine for 14 days and have to practice social distancing?  What about a mask if social distancing can't be avoided?

there are 8 sick tigers, and lack of tests allowed only one to be tested.

WaPo is reporting that a veterinary test kit and lab were used, neither of which could be used for human testing, so no human was deprived of a test because of this.

I don't believe there is a specific veterinary test. Most likely same primers as the  virus is the same anyway.
Otherwise, an ab initio sequencing could be used.
Both are 100% agnostic to species being tested.

[Scott5114]

Same process and chemicals, but human and veterinary equipment is very different.

[wxfree]

Two companies have announced car insurance premium rebates due to the drastic change in risk profiles.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/06/business/allstate-payments-coronavirus/index.html

[kalvado]

Same process and chemicals, but human and veterinary equipment is very different.

Sample collection may be a bit different, dna-free swab is the same,  PCR and sequencing machines are totally identical.

[Scott5114]

Same process and chemicals, but human and veterinary equipment is very different.

Sample collection may be a bit different, dna-free swab is the same,  PCR and sequencing machines are totally identical.

The Bronx Zoo also pointed out coronavirus tests for people and animals are different, with the latter being performed at a veterinary lab, so no human in need of a test lost one to the tiger.

"You cannot send human samples to the veterinary laboratory, and you cannot send animal tests to the human laboratories, so there is no competition for testing between these very different situations,"  Paul Calle, the Bronx Zoo's chief veterinarian, said in a statement.

I would expect you'd need a much longer swab to reach the part of a tiger's anatomy that needs to be swabbed.

[GreenLanternCorps]

Same process and chemicals, but human and veterinary equipment is very different.

Sample collection may be a bit different, dna-free swab is the same,  PCR and sequencing machines are totally identical.

Yes, the human is not likely to eat you if you collect it wrong...

[kalvado]

Same process and chemicals, but human and veterinary equipment is very different.

Sample collection may be a bit different, dna-free swab is the same,  PCR and sequencing machines are totally identical.

Yes, the human is not likely to eat you if you collect it wrong...

I guess this is exactly why only one animal was tested. Tearing protective gear and infecting test taker is another hazard. I assume animal had to be tranquilized.
I don't believe one test is that big of a deal when hundreds thousands are being done, and scientific value of this one can be huge, including human lives saved down the road due to awareness of possible animal infection.

[formulanone]

So does the Tiger get stuck in quarantine for 14 days and have to practice social distancing?  What about a mask if social distancing can't be avoided?

The tiger can stay with Joe Exotic, he'll be in quarantine for a while.

My world is a little darker for even knowing who that is.  Normally I would be out and active enough that TV water cooler talk wouldn't get to me.

That's what happens when my TV habits suddenly increase about 600% (from 5-15 minutes to 1-2 hours).

[kalvado]

Same process and chemicals, but human and veterinary equipment is very different.

Sample collection may be a bit different, dna-free swab is the same,  PCR and sequencing machines are totally identical.

The Bronx Zoo also pointed out coronavirus tests for people and animals are different, with the latter being performed at a veterinary lab, so no human in need of a test lost one to the tiger.

"You cannot send human samples to the veterinary laboratory, and you cannot send animal tests to the human laboratories, so there is no competition for testing between these very different situations,"  Paul Calle, the Bronx Zoo's chief veterinarian, said in a statement.

I would expect you'd need a much longer swab to reach the part of a tiger's anatomy that needs to be swabbed.

I actually thought about it, and I even asked my cat to help with those measurements. He is much smaller than me.
Overall, I assume human brain makes human head much bigger compared to even big animals.
Vets probably have animal grade swabs and procedures, which are not depleted as there is no animal epidemic (not yet, at least).
While physical differences may be non-existent, certification and fda red tapedont allow for test mixing. One thing this may mean is that instead of consuming one dose of primers, a bigger package had to be relabeled and shipped as animal grade stuff to animal grade lab.

...I'm from the government and I'm here to help!

[Max Rockatansky]

So does the Tiger get stuck in quarantine for 14 days and have to practice social distancing?  What about a mask if social distancing can't be avoided?

The tiger can stay with Joe Exotic, he'll be in quarantine for a while.

My world is a little darker for even knowing who that is.  Normally I would be out and active enough that TV water cooler talk wouldn't get to me.

That's what happens when my TV habits suddenly increase about 600% (from 5-15 minutes to 1-2 hours).

My wife tried to get me to watch, I refused and went to read in the garage.  I was hedging my bet that guy was from Florida but I guess he was from Oklahoma. 

[hbelkins]

I don't have Netflix, so I only know who Joe Exotic is -- and to a greater extent, Carole Baskin -- from all the memes that float across my Facebook feed.

So, why does everyone hate Carole Baskin?

[Roadgeekteen]

Heard that New York had it's cases slow down? Is that true?

[Rothman]

Heard that New York had it's cases slow down? Is that true?

Cuomo said so, but it only slowed down for a day or two.

Even then, NY has had over 5,000 deaths, or enough corpses to fill a four acre cemetery (four acres = Statue of Liberty, its platform and security entry, plus some surrounding grounds).

[bandit957]

Heard that New York had it's cases slow down? Is that true?

It's slowed down in New York and gone way up in California.

[webny99]

Heard that New York had it's cases slow down? Is that true?

Cuomo said so, but it only slowed down for a day or two.

It's important to keep in mind that cases are going to slow down first, before deaths, since a death typically lags about 3-4 weeks behind the infection.

Even then, NY has had over 5,000 deaths, or enough corpses to fill a four acre cemetery (four acres = Statue of Liberty, its platform and security entry, plus some surrounding grounds).

As a more relevant point of comparison, the Holy Sepulchre and Riverside Cemeteries here in Rochester combine for 455 acres.
Also, note that natural population turnover results in around 200,000 deaths yearly in New York; the current death toll accounts for about 2% of that. 5,000 deaths is certainly 5,000 too many, but everyone already knows it's a bad situation, and it's important to keep positive and look at the data in the right context.

[kalvado]

Heard that New York had it's cases slow down? Is that true?

Cuomo said so, but it only slowed down for a day or two.

Even then, NY has had over 5,000 deaths, or enough corpses to fill a four acre cemetery (four acres = Statue of Liberty, its platform and security entry, plus some surrounding grounds).

Less than that under contingency plan:
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/nycs-grim-contingency-coronavirus-deaths-rise-temporary-mass/story?id=70008187

[LM117]

A lawsuit has been filed against Dare County in NC, claiming a violation of the Privileges & Immunities Clause.

https://www.outerbanksvoice.com/2020/04/07/dare-county-sued-for-barring-non-resident-property-owners/

[J N Winkler]

Also, note that natural population turnover results in around 200,000 deaths yearly in New York; the current death toll accounts for about 2% of that. 5,000 deaths is certainly 5,000 too many, but everyone already knows it's a bad situation, and it's important to keep positive and look at the data in the right context.

200,000 dead in NYS annually is about 700 deaths per day.  Coronavirus deaths have been over that threshold (representing 100% overload) for a couple of days now.  Since the deaths have been concentrated in NYC, the localized overload is higher and has been for longer, which is one reason temporary mass graves (as discussed in Kalvado's link above) have entered the conversation.

The mass graves that were dug in Philadelphia in 1918 were also supposed to be temporary--the bodies were tagged so they could be identified when they were exhumed.  Possibly those graves were indeed emptied out for reburial, but not long ago PennDOT had to deal with an unmarked 1918 mass grave in Schuylkill County that was exposed during the course of construction on SR 61.

[kalvado]

Also, note that natural population turnover results in around 200,000 deaths yearly in New York; the current death toll accounts for about 2% of that. 5,000 deaths is certainly 5,000 too many, but everyone already knows it's a bad situation, and it's important to keep positive and look at the data in the right context.

200,000 dead in NYS annually is about 700 deaths per day.  Coronavirus deaths have been over that threshold (representing 100% overload) for a couple of days now.  Since the deaths have been concentrated in NYC, the localized overload is higher and has been for longer, which is one reason temporary mass graves (as discussed in Kalvado's link above) have entered the conversation.

The mass graves that were dug in Philadelphia in 1918 were also supposed to be temporary--the bodies were tagged so they could be identified when they were exhumed.  Possibly those graves were indeed emptied out for reburial, but not long ago PennDOT had to deal with an unmarked 1918 mass grave in Schuylkill County that was exposed during the course of construction on SR 61.

Right now NYS reports something like 140k cases - 0.7% of the population. With aggressive testing but overladed system - maybe 2-3% of the population were infected by now, and everything is out of wack. Fun to be in command of future planning, I suppose.

[Max Rockatansky]

Also, note that natural population turnover results in around 200,000 deaths yearly in New York; the current death toll accounts for about 2% of that. 5,000 deaths is certainly 5,000 too many, but everyone already knows it's a bad situation, and it's important to keep positive and look at the data in the right context.

200,000 dead in NYS annually is about 700 deaths per day.  Coronavirus deaths have been over that threshold (representing 100% overload) for a couple of days now.  Since the deaths have been concentrated in NYC, the localized overload is higher and has been for longer, which is one reason temporary mass graves (as discussed in Kalvado's link above) have entered the conversation.

The mass graves that were dug in Philadelphia in 1918 were also supposed to be temporary--the bodies were tagged so they could be identified when they were exhumed.  Possibly those graves were indeed emptied out for reburial, but not long ago PennDOT had to deal with an unmarked 1918 mass grave in Schuylkill County that was exposed during the course of construction on SR 61.

Maybe that's why they don't want to dig up ole PA 61 in Centrailia, that road was ghostly enough. 

[jakeroot]

It's impressive to me how Washington State went from being, basically, the epicenter, to being just another state. WA is dark on the maps, but not any darker than quite a few other states, and lighter than Michigan, New York, Louisiana, and New Jersey.

Have we started to hit the upper curve? Per day increases in cases seem to be decreasing percentage-wise.

[kalvado]

It's impressive to me how Washington State went from being, basically, the epicenter, to being just another state. WA is dark on the maps, but not any darker than quite a few other states, and lighter than Michigan, New York, Louisiana, and New Jersey.

Have we started to hit the upper curve? Per day increases in cases seem to be decreasing percentage-wise.

Thing is, social distancing actually works. Epidemics flare out is arrested - even  NY is reporting drop in daily cases.
Problem is what to do next. We cannot seat at home forever...

[LM117]

A lawsuit has been filed against Dare County in NC, claiming a violation of the Privileges & Immunities Clause.

https://www.outerbanksvoice.com/2020/04/07/dare-county-sued-for-barring-non-resident-property-owners/

Meanwhile in VA, a man from Russell County has filed a lawsuit claiming that his religious freedom is being violated by the governor's executive order...

https://wset.com/news/coronavirus/man-files-lawsuit-claiming-govs-stay-at-home-order-interferes-with-right-to-go-to-church

[bing101]

A lawsuit has been filed against Dare County in NC, claiming a violation of the Privileges & Immunities Clause.

https://www.outerbanksvoice.com/2020/04/07/dare-county-sued-for-barring-non-resident-property-owners/

Meanwhile in VA, a man from Russell County has filed a lawsuit claiming that his religious freedom is being violated by the governor's executive order...

https://wset.com/news/coronavirus/man-files-lawsuit-claiming-govs-stay-at-home-order-interferes-with-right-to-go-to-church

https://www.nydailynews.com/coronavirus/ny-coronavirus-tony-spell-louisiana-pastor-20200408-4ijmxbx7mna43ics4qncmzmvae-story.html


Pastor Tony Spell is one of many church leaders who are under investigation by state Law Enforcement for violating "Shelter in place orders" by their Governors. These pastors are putting their congregation in compromised situations. But they are trying to play the "Freedom of Religion" card with law enforcement.


https://www.nola.com/opinions/will_sutton/article_79ee008e-74f3-11ea-a9e7-27cf3f3b7756.html


https://www.tmz.com/2020/04/08/louisiana-pastor-tony-spell-arrested-coronavirus-worshipers-sacrifice-god/




https://www.christianpost.com/news/uganda-arrests-pastor-for-denying-coronavirus-outbreak-on-television.html


https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/update-police-ticket-church-leaders-after-they-refuse-to-disperse-sunday-service-of-more-than/article_9d26619f-955b-5a69-b87b-f47d01effb38.html




https://www.kxii.com/content/news/Texoma-church-still-holding-in-person-services-during-COVID-19-crisis-569388571.html




https://wlos.com/news/coronavirus/some-kentucky-churches-plan-to-gather-despite-virus-orders