Pandemic update, Tuesday 29 September

US

90% of population remains susceptible (Dr. Redfield)

NYC

Rising cases

Indoor gatherings

Public schools opening

Private schools and none-essential business may close

Florida lifts all COVID-19 restrictions

Cases, 692,234

+ 16, 540 in past 7 days

Positivity rate, 5.33% to 7.54%

Gov. Ron DeSantis

No longer fines for not wearing face masks

Restrictions on all businesses, restaurants, bars, lifted

Every business has the right to operate

Some of the locals can do reasonable regulations. But you can't just say no

a full Super Bowl (NFL) in Tampa in February

Local governments may implement limited restrictions ……

If they are able to prove the decision can be justified based on both public health and economic factors

Why we have restrictions

Population, 21. 48 million

Probably 2.2 million immune

19 million not immune

13.3 million (70%) potential infections

Potential hospitalizations, 665, 000 (5%)

Potential 40, 000 deaths (0.3%)

Excess deaths

US updates symptoms

CDC data

Growth rate in real time

Hospital admissions data

Washington University data

Europe

Batch of its Sputnik V sent to Belarus for clinical trials, starting 1st October

UK

Cases, 6,874 + 6,042 + 5,693 + 4,044

Cases, 19, 247 + 19, 661 + 19, 523 + 19,373

Active cases, 211, 777

847 swab tests, 7th 20th September

Could be back to May levels within 3 weeks

England R = 1.4

Scotland R = 1.3

Wales R = 1.4

In 7 days

North West, tripled from 12,544 to 36,316

North East and Yorkshire, more than doubled from 12,916 to 27,731

London, doubled, from 9,291 to 18,200

The number of cases in the UK continues to rise at an alarming rate as we are seeing figures doubling weekly across the country (TS)

The government has confirmed that our data from our loyal app users is playing a critical role and currently providing the most up-to-date figures

France

Government, no plan to order a new nationwide lockdown

Russia

Victor Maleev from the Russian Academy of Sciences

Well over 8,000 daily cases

I think that infections are going to rise now and we will approach a plateau, and then a gradual decline will begin, there is unlikely to be a peak

The plateau will probably be at the start of October

Brazil

Death rates high in April and May

? herd immunity

Increasing cases this month

Efficacy of masks and face coverings in controlling outward aerosol particle emission from expiratory activities

(Nature, Scientific Reports 24th September)

Examined micron scale particle emission by mask-wearers into the surrounding air

Surgical and KN95 masks reduce outward particle emissions

Coughing, 74% reduction

Speaking, 90% reduction

Decreased the outward particle emission of a coughing superemitter

Who emitted up to two orders of magnitude more expiratory particles via coughing than average

? virus-contaminated fabrics can generate aerosolized fomites

Importance of regular washing of homemade masks