#Coronavirus Preventions

[gumjrop]

Masking and Protests

In a win for community care,masks are being used broadly at recent protests on college campuses across the country, making these protests more accessible as well as showing solidarity with disabled communities. Some college campuses have attempted to ban or discourage masking at protests. University of Texas at Austin’s Provost issued a statement including a rule banning masks, and University of North Carolina’s Provost asked protestors not to mask, citing a state law from 1953 enacted in response to the KKK. Notably, the North Carolina mask law contains an amendment, introduced in 2020, to allow masking “to ensure the physical health or safety of the wearer or others” (see PDF link to the amendment).

Masking at protests must be allowed to make protests accessible for disabled and immunocompromised people, and safer for everyone. COVID and other infectious diseases can spread both indoors and outdoors, especially in crowded settings. Share our guide to accessible protests on Instagram or Substack, and also check out our statement and call to action on Palestine. Also consider supporting mask distribution efforts such as local mask blocs, which may be seeing increased demand related to protests.

Wins

Remember our allies at the University of California Academic Worker Union from our January 2023 webinar, who fought for COVID safety protections? They're running for office this week on the executive board of UAW local 4811.  Check out their slate—which includes disability justice and COVID protections—and learn how to vote here.

The Weather

The CDC’s reported COVID wastewater levels by state show “Low” or “Minimal” wastewater levels across all reporting states and territories as of April 25, with no data available from North Dakota, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and Guam.

Wastewater levels across all four regions are at lower levels than this year’s fall-winter peaks, with all regions showing either a slowing of the rate of decrease or a leveling off. You can still be infected during times of lower wastewater COVID levels. Precautions including consistent masking in all public spaces are still necessary in our daily lives to reduce the risk of infection, to prevent Long COVID, and to practice community care.

Variants

The CDC’s variant tracking has been updated and now shows many JN.1 sublineages, including KP.2, JN.1.7, and JN.1.13.1. Regional variant NowCast predictions are not available as of April 26 for any US region.

COVID Treatment

With the end of the national Test to Treat program in mid-April, we have lost an important route for affordable and convenient access to Paxlovid. Still, Paxlovid continues to be an important treatment to prevent the development of severe COVID. A few important facts about Paxlovid eligibility that people may not be aware of:

Paxlovid can be started within 5-7 days of the start of COVID symptoms. Initially, starting within 5 days was the recommendation. The extended window for treatment is particularly important as folks may test positive later in the course of their infection, sometimes a few days after symptoms develop. 

People aged 50 and older are eligible even if they do not have other medical conditions.

Younger people with certain medical conditions may also be eligible for Paxlovid.

The PAXCESS program may provide a Paxlovid discount from the manufacturer and provides free Paxlovid for people who receive Medicare or Medicaid and uninsured people without prescription drug benefits. 

If you are infected with COVID, make sure you also talk with your doctor about over-the-counter medications or supplements you may be taking. Even over-the-counter medications can have significant risks that should be discussed in the context of your individual medical history.

COVID Prevention

An effective multilayered approach to COVID prevention should include proven measures such as masking with high-quality respirators (N95s, KN96s, KF94s or better), improving indoor air quality with ventilation and filtration, physical distancing, getting the latest vaccines, and using COVID tests appropriately. Unproven methods should not be considered part of a multilayered approach. Topical nasal products such as sprays or ointments may seem tempting but are not proven to prevent COVID infections (none are FDA approved for COVID) and may have risks. For example, Vaseline and petrolatum-based ointments can cause pneumonia if applied to the inside of the nose, as they may be subsequently inhaled where they can damage the lungs. Over-the-counter antibiotic ointments are intended to protect from bacterial infection in minor skin wounds and should not be used inside the nose. Although early research on other uses has been publicized, given the risks of petrolatum-based ointments if used in the nose, it is important to wait for larger scale studies to understand both potential risks and benefits. Colloidal silver, sometimes touted in nasal spray form, is not proven to treat or prevent any medical condition and can cause permanent gray pigmentation of the skin as well as other serious side effects. Research studies shared in the news or on social media should not be used in place of medical advice from an individual healthcare provider you trust. 

While we expect masking and other multilayered precautions to remain a mainstay of prevention, we hope that further research will lead to FDA-approval/authorization of additional drugs for COVID treatment and prevention in the future.

Measles

Measles outbreaks within the US continue, with the first Wisconsin case being reported. Measles transmits through the air as well as through contact with surfaces, and is highly contagious. Now is a good time to check vaccination records for yourself and your loved ones, get any catch-up vaccinations, and check with your local healthcare provider if you are uncertain about vaccination or immunity status. In some cases, lab testing for measles immunity (antibody titers) can be helpful.

Take Action

Use MaskTogetherAmerica’s letter campaign to ask your elected officials to reinstate the Test to Treat program for free and convenient COVID and influenza testing, telehealth, and treatment access.

Support science-based COVID isolation guidance from the CDC using our letter campaign to contact your elected officials or sign on to our expert letter.

If you know someone who is organizing a protest, share our guide to accessible protests with them, via Instagram or Substack.

[iliveinprocrasti-nationn]

fauci saying “vulnerable people will fall by the wayside” and that some will die but that’s ok because we’re not going to see the “tsunami of cases” we’ve seen before is so dehumanising. so babies with no immune system, elderly people, disabled people, and people without adequate access to healthcare can all die of covid. but it’s ok guys because actually they’re just falling to the wayside and everyone else will go back to normal and be fine (sarcasm).

my death or the deaths of my family or friends wouldn’t be us “falling by the wayside”, it would be us being failed by our government, healthcare systems, and communities who have refused to take coronavirus seriously despite mounting anecdotal and scientific evidence of the harm this virus does. fact that people can accept the deaths of vulnerable groups just because they want to eat in a restaurant or don’t want to wear a mask is horrifying

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) has signed a bill that bans state and local governments from mandating COVID-19 vaccines for workers after a similar ban expired last month.

The legislation signed Thursday is aimed at defending citizens’ “individual liberty,” Sanders said at a press conference prior to its signing.

The legislation also prohibits COVID-19 vaccinations from being required as a condition of education, or for obtaining a service or licensure, permit or certificate of some kind. Any potential risks and harms associated with the shots must also be recorded and published by the state.

The bill is different from the state’s prior ban on vaccine mandates, which first went into effect in 2021, in that it covers vaccines or immunizations for any subvariants of the coronavirus, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

The latest COVID-19 vaccine, which was federally authorized for use this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, is specially designed to reduce major illness and illness from omicron virus variants that are currently circulating.

In total, Sanders signed 11 bills on Thursday.

A separate bill she signed restricts the public release of her travel and security records. That bill, which went into immediate effect, shields details about the security that the Governor and other constitutional officers receive.

These details include who travels on the State Police airplane and the cost of individual trips. Sanders argued that it was needed for her and her family’s safety, though some critics said it eliminates government transparency.

State Sen. Bart Hester (R), who co-sponsored the bill, said at Thursday’s press conference that all of the state’s elected government leaders are still able to see the travel receipts through audit. The law also requires the state to file a quarterly report listing the monthly costs of protecting the Governor.

[toshootforthestars]

From the report by Beth Mole, posted 29 Feb 2024:

In a lengthy background document, the agency laid out its rationale for consolidating COVID-19 guidance into general guidance for respiratory viruses—including influenza, RSV, adenoviruses, rhinoviruses, enteroviruses, and others, though specifically not measles. The agency also noted the guidance does not apply to health care settings and outbreak scenarios. "COVID-19 remains an important public health threat, but it is no longer the emergency that it once was, and its health impacts increasingly resemble those of other respiratory viral illnesses, including influenza and RSV," the agency wrote. The most notable change in the new guidance is the previously reported decision to no longer recommend a minimum five-day isolation period for those infected with the pandemic coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. Instead, the new isolation guidance is based on symptoms, which matches long-standing isolation guidance for other respiratory viruses, including influenza. "The updated Respiratory Virus Guidance recommends people with respiratory virus symptoms that are not better explained by another cause stay home and away from others until at least 24 hours after both resolution of fever AND overall symptom are getting better," the document states. "This recommendation addresses the period of greatest infectiousness and highest viral load for most people, which is typically in the first few days of illness and when symptoms, including fever, are worst." The CDC acknowledged that the eased isolation guidance will create "residual risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission," and that most people are no longer infectious only after 8 to 10 days. As such, the agency urged people to follow additional interventions—including masking, testing, distancing, hygiene, and improving air quality—for five additional days after their isolation period. "Today’s announcement reflects the progress we have made in protecting against severe illness from COVID-19," CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said in a statement. "However, we still must use the commonsense solutions we know work to protect ourselves and others from serious illness from respiratory viruses—this includes vaccination, treatment, and staying home when we get sick." Overall, the agency argued that a shorter isolation period would be inconsequential. Other countries and states that have similarly abandoned fixed isolation times did not see jumps in COVID-19 emergency department visits or hospitalizations, the CDC pointed out. And most people who have COVID-19 don't know they have it anyway, making COVID-19-specific guidance moot, the agency argued. In a recent CDC survey, less than half of people said they would test for SARS-CoV-2 if they had a cough or cold symptoms, and less than 10 percent said they would go to a pharmacy or health care provider to get tested. Meanwhile, "The overall sensitivity of COVID-19 antigen tests is relatively low and even lower in individuals with only mild symptoms," the agency said. The CDC also raised practical concerns for isolation, including a lack of paid sick leave for many, social isolation, and "societal costs." The points are likely to land poorly with critics. “The CDC is again prioritizing short-term business interests over our health by caving to employer pressure on COVID guidelines. This is a pattern we’ve seen throughout the pandemic,” Lara Jirmanus, Clinical Instructor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, said in a press release last month after the news first broke of the CDC's planned isolation update. Jirmanus is a member of the People's CDC, a group that advocates for more aggressive COVID-19 policies, which put out the press release. Another member of the group, Sam Friedman, a professor of population health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, also blasted the CDC's stance last month. The guidance will "make workplaces and public spaces even more unsafe for everyone, particularly for people who are high-risk for COVID complications," he said.

But, the CDC argues that the threat of COVID-19 is fading. Hospitalizations, deaths, prevalence of long COVID, and COVID-19 complications in children (MIS-C) are all down. COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective at preventing severe disease, death, and to some extent, long COVID—we just need more people to get them. Over 95% of adults hospitalized with COVID-19 in the 2023–2024 respiratory season had no record of receiving the seasonal booster dose, the agency noted. Only 22% of adults got the latest shot, including only 42% of people ages 65 and older. In contrast, 48% of adults got the latest flu shot, including 73% of people ages 65 and older. But even with the crummy vaccination rates for COVID-19, a mix of past infection and shots have led to a substantial protection in the overall population. The CDC even went as far as arguing that COVID-19 deaths have fallen to a level that is similar to what's seen with flu. "Reported deaths involving COVID-19 are several-fold greater than those reported to involve influenza and RSV. However, influenza and likely RSV are often underreported as causes of death," the CDC said. In the 2022–2023 respiratory virus season, there were nearly 90,000 reported COVID-19 deaths. For flu, there were 9,559 reported deaths, but the CDC estimates the true number to be between 18,000 and 97,000. In the current season, there have been 32,949 reported COVID-19 deaths to date and 5,854 reported flu deaths, but the agency estimates the real flu deaths are between 17,000 and 50,000. "Total COVID-19 deaths, accounting for underreporting, are likely to be higher than, but of the same order of magnitude as, total influenza deaths," the agency concluded.

(say no to raw dough: CDC)

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Prevent Senior faces major lawsuit over pandemic wrongdoings

State, federal, and labor prosecutors in São Paulo on Tuesday announced a lawsuit against Prevent Senior, one of Brazil’s largest health insurance providers, demanding BRL 940 million (USD 189 million) in compensation for damages caused during the first two years of the Covid pandemic.

The company’s conduct, according to the prosecutors, included workplace harassment, workplace violations, testing on humans without proper authorization from the National Research Ethics Commission, and violations of medical autonomy, public health, and the rights of patients and health insurance consumers.

The company’s management, the prosecutors said, prohibited doctors and other employees from wearing masks and kept employees who tested positive for Covid on the job. Doctors were also morally harassed into prescribing so-called “Covid kits” to patients, which included drugs that were proven ineffective in treating the virus.

Continue reading.

[crimeronan]

someone just called me the n-word in my inbox for my COVID booster post which is wild. i..... honest to fucking God thought you guys were all dead already??

[wormeats]

I fell for propaganda and was turned against those I have always wanted to root for

I wanted to send this to the CDC somehow, but the email contact form on their website has a character limit and I'm incapable of being concise. I thought this might be helpful for some people to see because it took me a while to reflect on.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, living in Florida, being young and trans and traumatized by the current political climate and dangers posed by the pandemic, I was swayed by likely a mix of propaganda and a fear and anger response to the amount of stress that time came with. I found myself trusting in the CDC less because of several things that I never fully examined until now recently. It was all just a mix of fear and hopeless rage about public health and my fears about our political climate, and much of that was directed at the CDC. Upon examining this recently, I think this was because I assumed the CDC had more power than it may actually have in enforcing public health. I thought isolation periods could be more solidly mandated, that mask wearing could be solidly mandated, and so on. I assumed the CDC had more control over when schools reopened for children (I now realize a lot of this is controlled by states individually or even more locally), and in my fear of the pandemic and distrust in the CDC sowed by being worried about the country as a whole, I even failed to fully weigh the consideration that virtual learning has a significant impact on Anyone’s mental health and that for children especially, social and emotional development should be fostered and that is an issue that gravely concerns mental health extending to the rest of their lives. I thought the CDC could require employers to keep allowing employees to have sick days when testing positive, so they wouldn't have to make a choice between risking their job and livelihood versus strangers’ physical health and possibly risking permanent damage or death for some with no way to tell (I'm grateful that the risk has been reduced so much by vaccines/boosters and being cautious with masking and washing hands, but I feel it is so important to allow isolation away from work when it concerns transmission and health and recovery). I particularly was swayed more into distrust when I heard that Delta airlines wrote a letter asking the CDC to update isolation periods for vaccinated individuals who would still be required to mask, believing there was no new data to give confidence to such a change in recommendations (10 day isolation period to 5 day isolation and next 5 days with a mask), but found there explicitly was reasoning given on the CDC update from that time available to view on the website’s archives (these have been very helpful because the time of all of this was an emotional traumatizing blur, so specifics are hard to remember). Before I examined this all more after the fact, this led me to believe that the CDC was influenced by economic concerns and the workforce instead of public health and keeping those workers alive and healthy, and furthered my distrust.

I am glad that now I have further examined where this distrust has come from and found that it was irrational on my part, and I regret that I carried on with this tainted view of the CDC for so long. I have struggled with this because I did have a strong trust in the CDC and felt more unsure of where I should find reliable information, knowing the CDC certainly has more expertise than I and has likely devoted a lot of time and research to any particular consideration I might come up with. I hope if others were similarly swayed by political propaganda that sought to utilize fear and stress from the pandemic, that they too come to reexamine how they came to think that way and find trust in this institution of scientists who are clearly passionate about public health and finding ways to keep all of us safe with many unpredictable variables to consider. I feel very ashamed that I allowed my trust in the CDC to be shaken to this extent. I hope scientific research, public health concerns, environmental concerns, and any crisis that requires humanity to understand facts and cooperate is taken more seriously and listened to from experts in each respective field and not turned into political opinions one way or the other. I am so devastated by all the damage COVID has done that feels like it could've been so preventable if this didn't become a political issue and remained a public health crisis to work through cooperatively. I have now come to see that I think the CDC did as much as it could through all of this with all of the consideration at the time and with its limited influence amidst political stress.

Thank you everyone at the CDC, I am sorry that I fell for this propaganda, and I would like to talk to as many people in my life about addressing propaganda and fully considering that no one is fully safe from falling prey to propaganda and biases we don't realize are tainting our full view. Thank you again so much for everything incredible that you have done for humanity. Be kind to yourselves everyone, shit has been so hard honestly.

[he13na]

attention people of this planet:

STAY HOME IF YOU'RE SICK !!!

STOP CARELESSLY GOING AROUND AND INFECTING OTHERS !!!

YOU'RE THE PROBLEM !!!

[quicktimes]

The 'Eris' variant is the latest addition to the family of coronavirus variants. It was first identified in [mention the location or date if available] and has since garnered attention from the scientific community and the general public. Read More about

[thehealthofficers]

This is the first such case in the world where human infection occurred from the plant. This person has been a victim of a disease called killer plant fungus, which is caused by his plant.

[gumjrop]

The Weather

Similar to this time last year, COVID wastewater levels in many states have decreased and now remain at low levels except for the states of Tennessee and Missouri, which are at high levels. Arkansas, Alabama, Delaware, Minnesota, and Virginia have moderate viral levels detected by wastewater surveillance. This reminds us that it is important to continue the practice of precautions, especially among those most vulnerable to a COVID infection.

When considering trends in wastewater levels across all four regions, they have stopped decreasing as seen in the provisional data (gray shaded area). The national wastewater levels are indicated as “Low.” While lower wastewater levels indicate decreased spread, the risk for infection remains moderate especially as current wastewater levels remain slightly higher than previous low periods.

Wins

During the past few weeks, we have taken several actions against removing vital public health measures, especially the change in COVID isolation guidelines. This included the People’s CDC press conference from March 13, a recording and our press release are available. We also have a pre-proof of the People’s CDC External Review in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine Focus that additionally highlights the shortcomings of the CDC’s approach to public health and recommends a more equitable pandemic response. This week, we have assembled an expert letter asking the CDC to correct their COVID isolation guidelines.

Community groups continue to show us that it is possible to push back against corporate efforts to further privatize healthcare – and win. In Massachusetts, the Boston Center for Independent Living and SEIU 1199 led a successful drive to prevent cuts to publicly funded personal care attendants (PCAs) for disabled people. When we fight, we win.  

Variants

Currently, JN.1 remains the dominant variant in the US, and is 83.7% of circulating variants as of 4/13/2024, down from 88.5% on 2/3/2024. JN.1.13 has increased to 9.1%, up from 0.7% on 2/3/2024. Other variants comprise 7.2% of the remaining total. A recent study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, provided additional information on recent COVID variants that shed higher levels of wastewater; however, this cannot discount that COVID transmission remains at higher risk during rises in wastewater levels.

Hospitalizations

Total new hospital admissions caused by COVID have decreased to 7,318 during the week of April 6, 2024. Although the number of new hospital admissions are lower than the past, many counties in the US continue to experience increases in new hospital admissions. Over 25% of all counties are experiencing an increase in new COVID hospital admissions between the last week of March 2024 and the first week of April 2024. Most concerning, we still do not know the total number of hospital-acquired infections, since reporting over these numbers halted in May 2023. Despite this decrease in new hospital admissions and wastewater levels are currently at low levels nationwide, total hospitalizations do not completely reflect the current amount of circulating virus.

Prevention and Precautions

The CDC recently released guidelines to improve ventilation and implementation of air purification to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, specifically airborne pathogens. A group of scientists have also jointly published a policy statement in the academic journal Science supporting the establishment of higher standards for ventilation and the importance of air purification in indoor settings. Two studies published in the last month have validated the significance and value of both ventilation and air purification in schools and childcare centers to prevent the spread of COVID.

Vaccine uptake remains limited. Only 22.8% of adults and 14.1% of children have received the updated COVID vaccine as of 4/11/2024 -  a slight increase from 21.1% of adults and 12.8% of children on 3/10/2024. The Bridge Program remains available for those underinsured or without insurance for no-cost access to these vaccines, but may end December 31, 2024.

Long COVID

Senator Bernie Sanders, as chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension Committee, proposed draft legislation to address Long COVID. This proposal aims to allocate $1 billion annually for a decade to the NIH for Long COVID research, establish a centralized research entity and advisory board, create a rapid grant process for clinical trials, develop a patient data database, and enhance public education on Long COVID. We ask that you share your thoughts to their official contact by email specifically on allocating funding for effective treatments and specific measures in the prevention of Long COVID by April 23, 2024. Currently, Long COVID Alliance has compiled a list of active opportunities in studies and clinical trials that people with Long COVID may participate in, which may help the clinical community contribute knowledge of Long COVID and potentially support the development of effective treatments.

Take Action

An invaluable home-based program that supports testing, evaluation, and treatment for COVID, Test to Treat program, is ending on April 16, 2024. Send a letter to your local representatives to ask them to help save the program that helps so many at-risk people!

It’s been over a month since the CDC released new, irresponsible guidelines on COVID isolation which are not substantiated by scientific evidence. Our fight to take public health out of the hands of corporate interests and protect our collective well-being continues. As part of our strategy to push back, we’ve put together an expert letter to CDC Director Mandy Cohen telling her to reinstate science-based COVID isolation guidelines. We urge the CDC to consider the highly variable length of infectiousness in their recommendations and to adopt a test-based approach for ending isolation. This letter is for public health professionals, scientists, healthcare workers, disability advocates, and others who consider themselves experts in public health. Sign this letter asking the CDC to correct their updated COVID isolation guidelines.

Avian Flu (Awareness Update)

The People’s CDC is monitoring Avian Influenza (AKA “Bird Flu”) as it has been spreading in many avian and mammalian species around the world at alarming rates. The current strain of concern is subtype H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b and is highly pathogenic in poultry, causing systemic infections and rapid onset of illness and death among avian species (1). As such, this is called a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). This specific clade emerged in 2020 and has now been detected on every continent (2,3,4, 5). Over 500 species of birds and 360 species of other animals have been infected worldwide. Hundreds of thousands of wild animals have died from avian influenza since its emergence in 2020 (1, 6). Here in the U.S., at least 28 outbreaks have occurred in cattle farms (6, 7).

While human cases remain low, case fatality in humans has historically been around 50% (6). The outbreak among many non-bird animals is alarming and allows for opportunities for viral mutations that may lead to further infections among humans (1,6). The ecological consequences of such mass death around the world are currently unknown but guaranteed to be devastating as food webs are severely disrupted and conservation efforts suffer (1, 5). Humans are already feeling the direct impact of this as farmers are forced to cull entire flocks of poultry to control the spread, which may result in increased prices in the food supply (6). Humans will probably continue to feel the impacts of this historic spread, regardless of the number of human cases. We will continue to monitor the situation and share updates as the situation develops.

UC Davis

CDC

CDC

Viruses

Nature

Vox

BNO News

[sound-overlord]

not to be annoyed at ppl who are annoying but if a headline says 'a hundred million americans are exposed to HEART DISEASE bc of VACCINES' and then the subtitle is '2.8 % of ppl studied had elevated protein levels that are known to be heart disease risk factors' then the body of the text says 'we only looked at ppl with extremely stressful jobs' and you think covid vaccines are dangerous maybe you just cant fucking read

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

U.S. health agencies have sent a letter to Florida’s surgeon general, warning him that his claims about COVID-19 vaccine risks are harmful to the public.

The letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was sent Friday to Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo. It was a response to a letter Ladapo had written the agencies last month, expressing concerns about what he described as adverse effects from mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

Ladapo was appointed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2021 and has attracted national scrutiny over his close alignment with the Governor in opposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other health policies embraced by the federal government.

Ladapo last year released guidance recommending against COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy children, contradicting federal public health leaders whose advice says all kids should get the shots.

He also has recommended against men ages 18 to 39 getting the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, claiming that an analysis by the Florida Department of Health showed an 84% increase in cardiac-related deaths.

In their letter, the federal agencies debunked the analysis’ conclusion, saying that cardiovascular experts who studied the concern had concluded that the risk of strokes and heart attacks was lower in people who had been vaccinated, not higher.

More than 13 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been given around the world with little evidence of adverse effects, the federal health agencies said.

“It is the job of public health officials around the country to protect the lives of the populations they serve, particularly the vulnerable. Fueling vaccine hesitancy undermines this effort,” said the letter signed by FDA Commissioner Robert Califf and CDC Director Rochelle Walensky.

The Florida Department of Health on Saturday didn’t respond to an email inquiry about the letter.

[aquitainequeen]

PREVENTING COVID SPREAD - best practices poster by Pika-la-Cynique

[kneedeepincynade]

Hello and welcome to the shaoshan collective covid masterpost! Here all informations that have been posted here or on the channel will be easily available in both Italian and English language,do to the enormous amount of sources they will be at the bottom of the master post,feel free to link this post in any discussion and for your own research,the shaoshan collective takes great pride in his accuracy and scientific approach

The post is machine translated

The translation is at the bottom

The collective is on telegram

⚠️ ALLENTAMENTO DELLE MISURE DI PREVENZIONE E CONTROLLO, PARTE 1 - ELIMINAZIONE DI CERTI OBBLIGHI ⚠️

🇨🇳 Le Autorità di numerose città, soprattutto quelle più grandi e più popolate, hanno ottimizzato le Misure di Controllo e Prevenzione seguendo e perfezionando le Direttive della Nona Edizione del Piano di Prevenzione e Controllo, nonché le 20 Misure per Ottimizzare la Prevenzione, che includono:

📄 Eliminazione dell'obbligo di frequenti Test Molecolari, che finora erano GRATUITI.

📄 Eliminazione dell'obbligo di fornire i risultati dei Test Molecolari per l'utilizzo dei mezzi pubblici.

🌃 A Shanghai, il Governo ha annunciato che eliminerà la necessità di un risultato negativo al Test Molecolare per mezzi pubblici e luoghi all'aperto - 📄 Fonte.

🌆 A Shenzhen, il Governo ha rilasciato una dichiarazione di conferma che i residenti non avranno più bisogno di fornire un certificato di Test Molecolare quando entrano in luoghi pubblici come farmacie e attrazioni, così come non sarà più obbligatorio per mezzi pubblici, mentre rimarrà obbligatorio negli aeroporti e nelle stazioni ferroviarie, dove ogni giorno circolano centinaia di migliaia di persone - 📄 Fonte.

🏙 A Ürümqi, le autorità - che hanno incontrato i manifestanti durante proteste legittime, non come quelle eterodirette da USA e UK a Shanghai - stanno intensificando gli sforzi per promuovere la piena ripresa delle attività produttive, lavorative e commerciali, e riapriranno persino gli impianti sciistici della città - 📄 Fonte in fondo

🏛 Anche a Pechino sono state introdotte misure di allentamento, come l'eliminazione dell'obbligo di presentare il risultato del Test Molecolare su autobus e metropolitane, anch'esse frequentate da milioni di cittadini ogni giorno - 📄 Fonte in fondo

🌇 Anche a Guangzhou e Chengdu sono state revocate numerose restrizioni, eliminando l'obbligo di dover presentare un risultato negativo del Test Molecolare per prendere autobus e metropolitane - 📄 Fonte in fondo

🏙 Anche a Chongqing sono state revocate le restrizioni, e le autorità hanno invitato i residenti a effettuare Test Molecolari solo quando strettamente necessario, e - inoltre - le autorità locali hanno cessato di fornire Test Molecolari gratuiti a partire da domenica, secondo il principio "ogni persona è individualmente responsabile della propria salute" - 📄 Fonte in fondo

📊 Un Test Molecolare costerà 2,6 Yuan, ovvero 0,35€ a persone per un campione combinato, e 13 Yuan, ovvero 1,77€, per Test Individuali.

🏭 A Guangzhou, a partire da sabato quasi 7.700 imprese chiave, 18.000 unità di ristorazione e 219.000 imprese all'ingrosso e al dettaglio e 122 impianti industriali nel Distretto di Tianhe hanno ripreso completamente il lavoro e la produzione, come dichiarato da Huang Kaixuan, Vice-Capo Esecutivo del Distretto.

🏨 La Commissione per la Salute di Pechino ha esortato i residenti ad adempiere al proprio dovere nella prevenzione del COVID-19 e ad "essere loro stessi i primi responsabili della propria salute"

🧾 Tali misure - che sicuramente alleggeriscono l'onere sulla Gestione delle Comunità, messe a dura prova, come negli altri paesi del mondo, nei tre anni di COVID-19 - non devono essere viste come "un'apertura improvvisa" o un "allentamento totale delle restrizioni COVID-19", ma come una risposta delle autorità agli sviluppi della situazione.

📄 Su questo tema, sul perché non si può "lasciarsi andare" o "continuare a fare affari come sempre" per quanto riguarda le misure COVID-19, ci saranno dei post a parte, per trattare al meglio la questione.

🩻 Wang Guangfa - Esperto di Pneumologia presso il Primo Ospedale dell'Univeristà di Pechino - ha affermato che tali aggiustamenti non devono essere visti nell'ottica di una completa apertura, ma come un'ottimizzazione delle misure di prevenzione e controllo in linea con le caratteristiche della variante del virus, che permette il raggiungimento di un nuovo equilibrio tra controllo dell'epidemia e misure economico-sociali.

⚠️ ALLENTAMENTO DELLE MISURE DI PREVENZIONE E CONTROLLO, PARTE 2 - DALLA PREVENZIONE DEL VIRUS ALLA PREVENZIONE DI CASI GRAVI E DECESSI | PATOGENICITÀ E VIRULENZA ⚠️

📄 Nel post precedente è stato citato Wang Guangfa - Esperto di Pneumologia presso il Primo Ospedale dell'Univeristà di Pechino - che ha affermato come i nuovi aggiustamenti non debbano essere visti come completa apertura, ma come ottimizzazione delle misure di prevenzione e controllo in linea con le caratteristiche della variante del virus, e questo sarà il tema del post.

🦠 Per contenere un virus altamente contagioso, ma con virulenza più debole, il costo delle Misure di Controllo dell'Epidemia è molto più elevato rispetto quello delle misure precedenti nel trattare ceppi con minore contagiosità, ma con maggiore virulenza come la Variante DELTA, il che rende necessario gli attuali adeguamenti, ma "è improbabile che usciremo dalla pandemia in breve tempo questo inverno, poiché molti paesi stanno affrontando simili rinascite", ha dichiarato Wang Guangfa.

🔬Un Team di Ricerca Cinese ha dimostrato che la patogenicità di OMICRON è diminuita rispetto al Ceppo originale del Coronavirus e alle sue altre Varianti 📉

🏨 Patogenicità e Virulenza delle Varianti del COVID-19 sono le questioni-chiave su cui si sono concentrati gli scienziati cinesi, ed è stato scientificamente dimostrato al Laboratorio di Virologia dell'Università di Wuhan la drastica diminuzione della patogenicità di OMICRON 📉

🔬Per chi fosse interessato al processo e all'esperimento che ha portato alla dimostrazione, può leggere in fondo

💬 Lan Ke, Direttore del Laboratorio, ha affermato che i risultati ottenuti dimostrano che rispetto al Ceppo Originale, OMICRON ha una capacità più debole di causare malattie combinata con una virulenza inferiore - e che quindi non bisogna farsi prendere dal panico per OMICRON, in quanti i danni che causa sono notevolmente minori rispetto al Ceppo Originale 📉

🧾 In precedenza, un Documento di Ricerca pubblicato da scienziati dell'Università di Hong Kong e della Università Medica dell'Hainan nel gennaio del 2022 aveva dimostrato che la replicazione di OMICRON si è sostanzialmente attenuata nelle cellule umane Calu3 e CaCO2, e che OMICRON - rispetto a BETA e DELTA - provoca il più basso tasso di mortalità 📉

📑 Il Processo di Apertura e Uscita dalla Pandemia da COVID-19 dovrebbe procedere passo dopo passo e non subire brusche virate, come ha affermato Chen Xi - Assistente Professore di Sanità Pubblica dell'Università Yale, e il nuovo focus sarà la preparazione e l'impiego di più risorse mediche per i casi gravi, dato che la virulenza di OMICRON è minore alle precedenti Varianti.

📊 Come ad Hong Kong, anche nelle altre zone della Cina la priorità è quale di completare il processo di vaccinazione - che in Cina non è obbligatorio - degli ultra-ottantenni, e poi tra i 60-69 e i 70-79, in quanto gruppi ad alto rischio 🏥

💬 "Per uscire dall'Epidemia, è fondamentale costruire l'immunità tra i gruppi vulnerabili e il lavoro futuro non si concentrerà sull'eliminazione completa del virus attraverso i Test, ma dovrebbe concentrarsi sul mantenere la virulenza del virus ad un livello molto basso", ha dichiarato Zhang Wenhong, Epidemiologo di Shanghai.

💬 "Ora stiamo spostando la nostra strategia dalla prevenzione del virus alla prevenzione di casi gravi e decessi, quindi dobbiamo concentrarci maggiormente sulla popolazione vulnerabile chiave", ha affermato Wang Guangfa.

⚠️ "LE PERSONE PRIMA DI TUTTO" E "LA PREVENZIONE DELLE EPIDEMIE PRIMA DI TUTTO" NON SONO LA MEDESIMA COSA - PARTE 1 ⚠️

🦠 Dallo scoppio dell'Epidemia da COVID-19 sono trascorsi quasi tre anni, e quasi tutti i paesi del mondo sono stati colpiti.

🇺🇸 Al primo posto per Numero di Casi COVID-19 e Numero di Morti ci sono gli USA: 100.863.106 casi totali | 1.106.860 morti 📊

🌸 L'Obiettivo del Collettivo Shaoshan è fornire notizie ed analisi per la comprensione della realtà della Cina e del suo modo di pensare attraverso fonti primarie, non per fornire una "visione occidentale" degli eventi, pertanto il prossimo documento farà luce sul perché non si può pensare che in Cina si possa "tornare agli affari come al solito" ⬇️

📄 Con il prolungarsi del Periodo di Prevenzione e Controllo - scrive 浙江宣传, Ufficio del Dipartimento della Propaganda dello Zhejiang - la resistenza, nonché la tolleranza - anche psicologica - di molte persone è stata messa a dura prova. [...] Recentemente, in nome della Prevenzione, in alcune aree sono state implementare misure arbitrarie che hanno imbarazzato le masse, provocando deformazioni delle normali "20 Misure per la Prevenzione e il Controllo", trascurando la vita e la sicurezza delle masse, rovinando l'immagine del Partito, del Governo e ferendo il cuore delle persone" 💔

📑 "Prevenzione e Controllo delle epidemie - si legge nel comunicato del 浙江宣传 - servono a prevenire i virus, non la vita delle persone - è "prima le persone", non "prevenzione delle epidemie prima di tutto", in quanto - indipendentemente dal tipo di misure adottate, esse dovrebbero consentire alla società di tornare alla normalità il prima possibile" ☀️

⚽️ "In questo periodo si tiene la Coppa del Mondo in Qatar, e molti notano l'assenza di mascherine, tanto che qualcuno ha chiesto: "molti paesi nel mondo ora stanno facendo affari come al solito ["business as usual"], loro possono "lasciarsi andare", perché noi non possiamo?"

📊 Ad oggi, ci sono 636 milioni di casi COVID-19 confermati, e oltre 6,6 milioni di morti. Nell'ultimo giorno [dalla pubblicazione del documento] ci sono stati 230.000 nuovi casi e 428 decessi. Tra questi, il Giappone ha una popolazione di 126 milioni di persone, con un aumento giornaliero confermato dei casi pari a 98.000 unità, e la Corea del Sud - che ha una popolazione che conta oltre 50 milioni di persone, presenta un aumento giornaliero di 47.000 casi.

📊 Osservando le risorse mediche, la Cina nel 2022 ha 6,7 posti letto medici per 1.000 abitanti, mentre nel 2020 la Corea del Sud ne aveva 12,65, il Giappone 12,63, la Germania 7,82.

📊 Nel 2020, la Cina aveva 4,5 letti per terapia intensiva per 100.000 persone, la Germania 28,2, la Francia 16,4 e il Giappone 13,8, con una media globale pari a 10.

📊 Alla fine del 2021, la popolazione della Cina di età ≥ 60 anni era pari a 267 milioni di unità, mentre quella dei bambini ha superato i 250 milioni, presentando la situazione "un anziano, un giovane" 🇨🇳

🇸🇬 Secondo gli ultimi dati di Singapore, i tassi di mortalità per infezione degli anziani di età compresa tra 60-69, 70-79 e 80+ con protezione vaccinale sono rispettivamente dello 0,014%, 0,064% e 0,54% - i tassi di mortalità per infezione degli anziani nelle tre fasce di età senza protezione vaccinale sono rispettivamente dello 0,19%, 0,29%, 2,5% 📊

🇨🇳 In Cina, ci sono - per le tre fasce d'età trattate - 22,64 milioni, 16,16 milioni e 14 milioni di anziani che non hanno effettuato la vaccinazione (in Cina non c'è obbligo di vaccinazione) 💉

📄 "Liberalizzando" completamente, "lasciandosi andare", e basandosi sulle stime del tasso di mortalità per infezione, il bilancio delle vittime degli anziani di età ≥ 60 anni raggiungerebbe i 600.000 decessi, un numero esageratamente alto (❗️)

⚠️ "LE PERSONE PRIMA DI TUTTO" E "LA PREVENZIONE DELLE EPIDEMIE PRIMA DI TUTTO" NON SONO LA MEDESIMA COSA - PARTE 2 ⚠️

🇨🇳 Sebbene il numero dei morti - a livello statistico - sia "freddo", alla fine ricade sulle famiglie. Come scritto nel documento di 浙江宣传: "possiamo accettare la realtà della morte dei nostri cari? Assolutamente no, è inaccettabile. Il Sistema Sociale, la nostra Cultura Storica, i nostri valori e la nostra etica non ci permettono di guardare i nostri genitori, nonni e figli affrontare una minaccia di morte senza fare nulla e arrendersi" 🌺

🇺🇸|🇪🇺 "In alcuni paesi dell'Occidente, centinaia di persone sono morte a causa dell'epidemia in una casa di riposo o addirittura nelle loro case, senza visite a domicilio dei medici (❗️), se questo accadesse in Cina, sarebbe inaccettabile, pertanto vanno compresi gli sforzi per controllare l'epidemia" 🏥

📊 Secondo The Lancet, durante la Pandemia di COVID-19, il Tasso di Mortalità in Eccesso Globale è stato stimato a 18,2 milioni, ovvero 120,3 per 100.000 persone, e negli USA è stato di 179,3 per 100.000 persone [perciò più alto del livello globale], mentre in Cina il Tasso di Mortalità in Eccesso è solo dello 0,6 per 100.000 persone [molto, molto più basso del livello globale, ergo è stato svolto un eccellente lavoro] 📉

🇺🇸|🇪🇺 Lo stile del "tornare ai propri affari come al solito", il "business as usual" dei paesi occidentali si basa in realtà sulla perdita di vite umane (❗️) e sulla disgregazione delle famiglie (❗️) - QUANTI LO HANNO DIMENTICATO?

📊 Dati mostrano che il numero di decessi in Europa per la nuova epidemia di COVID-19 ha superato i 2 milioni, e gli USA 1,08 milioni, il paese con più decessi da COVID-19 al mondo 🇺🇸

❗️Invidiare la "libertà" dei paesi occidentali, ma ignorare il doloroso prezzo che hanno pagato è oblio selettivo.

🌊 "Se paragoniamo l'epidemia ad un fiume turbolento, per raggiungere l'altra sponda, alcuni paesi scelgono di entrare in acqua nudi, la "sopravvivenza del più adatto" e l'acquiescenza verso un gran numero di vittime, mentre la Cina sceglie di aiutarsi a vicenda e superare insieme le difficoltà, utilizzando il possibile una Grande Nave per dare a ognuno la possibilità di sopravvivere", come testimoniato dall'enorme numero di volontari.

🏙 Ad esempio, a Chongqing, oltre 600.000 volontari, dai quadri del Partito ai residenti, hanno offerto aiuto per far fronte all'ultima recrudescenza dell'epidemia 💞

🛳 "Quando la Grande Nave fa fatica e si avvicina gradualmente alla sponda opposta, se invidi ciecamente quei bagnanti che sono già sbarcati e hanno attraversato il fiume a nuoto [e molti sono annegati] invece di fare sforzi concertati per remare, allora gli sforzi precedenti saranno stati vani" 😔

🇨🇳 Il percorso che la Cina ha scelto per combattere l'epidemia è stato, fin dall'inizio, diverso da quella dei paesi occidentali, questo deve essere molto chiaro.

💭 La logica è stata ed è: "以人为本" - "Orientata alle Persone", "实事求是" - "Cercare la Verità dai Fatti" e "适应当前条件" - "Adattarsi alle condizioni attuali" 🇨🇳

⭐️ Tra la fine del 2019 e l'inizio del 2020, l'epidemia da COVID-19 è stata feroce in tutto il mondo, e le autorità hanno preso decisioni drastiche per frenare - in un breve periodo di tempo - la diffusione del virus 🦠

📊 Poiché successivamente il numero di casi locali è - progressivamente - sceso ad una cifra, le autorità hanno valutato la situazione, coordinato la prevenzione e il controllo dell'epidemia con lo sviluppo economico e sociale, promuovendo la ripresa del lavoro e della produzione in modo ordinato, diventando l'unico paese al mondo a raggiungere una crescita economica positiva in un periodo in cui tutte le grandi economie erano in negativo (❗️) - 📄 Fonte in fondo

⚠️ "LE PERSONE PRIMA DI TUTTO" E "LA PREVENZIONE DELLE EPIDEMIE PRIMA DI TUTTO" NON SONO LA MEDESIMA COSA - PARTE 3 ⚠️

🏛 Oggi, di fronte al graduale indebolimento della pericolosità del virus e ai cambiamenti nelle caratteristiche di trasmissione, le autorità promuovono la "Compensazione Dinamica" e pongono una maggiore enfasi sulla precisione scientifica dei Piani di Prevenzione e Controllo, introducendo 20 Misure per ottimizzare la Prevenzione e il Controllo.

🏥 Cos'è la "Compensazione Dinamica"? - "La politica di Compensazione Dinamica significa sopprimere un focolaio ogni volta che si verifica e farlo in un lasso di tempo relativamente breve in modo che non porti alla diffusione del virus nella comunità" - 📄 Fonte in fondo

📊 Nel 2021, il PIL della Cina è cresciuto dell'8,1%, e il Tasso di Crescita Medio nel 2020 e 2021 è stato del 5,1%, rendendola la miglior economia nel periodo COVID-19.

❗️"Recentemente, nel processo di attuazione della "Compensazione Dinamica" in alcuni luoghi, a causa di problemi di comprensione, capacità e metodi, le politiche di prevenzione e controllo sono state deformate"

🏙 "Alcuni luoghi hanno interpretazioni diverse della politica di "Compensazione Dinamica" e delle "20 Misure", e hanno lavorato senza rispettare l'autorità del Governo Centrale (❗️). Agli occhi di certe persone, Prevenzione e Controllo sono metodi per gestire i propri "piccoli stagni", piuttosto che gestire congiuntamente il "grande fiume che scorre" - non ragionano secondo il Principio del "Io sono responsabile del flusso del fiume, tu sei responsabile della gestione" 🌊

💥"In alcune zone, l'aver "premuto l'acceleratore" o aver effettuati repentini "cambi di marcia e poi stallo" ha danneggiato gravemente il desiderio delle masse di stabilità - in alcuni luoghi o c'è una chiusura o tutto è lasciato andare, non c'è stata "combinazione organizzata" e volontà di ottimizzare scientificamente il processo di prevenzione e controllo"

📄 "Prima la prevenzione delle epidemie" in alcuni luoghi ha sostituito "prima le persone" - e la vita delle persone, nonché l'economia - è stata sottovalutata, dando - tra l'altro - troppa importanza al COVID-19 e al COVID-19 soltanto, distorcendo il Principio "生命至上" - "la vita prima di ogni altra cosa / prima la vita" 🌱

❗️Alcuni funzionari hanno "intensificato" la prevenzione, non hanno osservato le Leggi e le "20 Misure", e hanno negativamente affrontato le masse, cosa che ha gelato il cuore delle persone 😔

📄 L'esistenza di questi problemi non può essere ignorata, ma non è realistico attribuirla ogni volta alla politica di "Compensazione Dinamica", e l'attuale Piano di Prevenzione e Controllo è simile ad un "Equilibrio di Interessi" - costruito secondo la seguente logica:

💭 "Prendere atto del sostentamenteo delle persone e dei valori economici, realizzare una "Soluzione Ottimizzata" in un Equilibrio Multi-Obiettivo, aderire alla Politica Generale di "Compensazione Dinamica", concentrarsi su obiettivi graduali, evidenziare la precisione scientifica e garantire che le politiche non siano fuori fase o deformate" 🔬

⭐️ "Tale processo metterà alla prova le capacità di governance dei Comitato di Partito e di Governo ad ogni livello, nonché la Saggezza e la Responsabilità dei quadri del Partito" 🇨🇳

📄 "Tuttavia, non si possono negare completamente le politiche di Prevenzione e Controllo soltanto perché in alcune aree sono state rilevate deviazioni dall'attuazione delle corrette Politiche di Prevenzione e Controllo, in quanto sarebbe irragionevole, cieco di fronte alla Grande Logica e vedente di fronte alla Piccola Logica del Momento" - ma questo certi "liberi pensatori" e lupi anti-sistema tornati pecorelle quando si tratta della Cina non lo capiranno mai.

🗄 "In risposta alla mancanza di capacità e stile di lavoro dei singoli addetti alla Prevenzione, è necessario segnalarli e sollecitarli ad apportare correzioni, ma non si può generalizzare il tutto e pensare che TUTTO il personale di Prevenzione sia incompetente e distaccato dalle masse" 🇨🇳

⚠️ "LE PERSONE PRIMA DI TUTTO" E "LA PREVENZIONE DELLE EPIDEMIE PRIMA DI TUTTO" NON SONO LA MEDESIMA COSA - PARTE 4 ⚠️

📄 "Uscire dalla nebbia dell'Epidemia COVID-19 non è un qualcosa che si può risolvere dicendo "lascia perdere", "non te ne curare", "tanto ormai c'è", in quanto tali discussioni - presenti in Occidente (❗️) - non risolveranno automaticamente i problemi. Nascondere la polvere sotto il tappeto non funziona sul lungo periodo, ma certi "liberi pensatori" in Occidente non lo capiranno mai.

🔬"Analizzare scientemente le condizioni attuali, e su di esse costruire un lavoro di miglioramento delle capacità di affrontare i problemi, sforzandosi di gestire il tutto correttamente, queste sono le basi per cui dovremmo lottare" 🧬

🦠 "Perché il virus non può "essere lasciato andare" immediatamente, dato che il Tasso di Letalità è basso? Bisogna prendere la vaccinazione come esempio: in Cina, la vaccinazione non è obbligatoria, e il Tasso di Vaccinazione di Richiamo degli anziani con età ≥ 80 è del 40%, e il livello di immunità generale dell'intera popolazione non è elevato" 📊

💬 "In questo momento, invece di rimanere impigliati nei discorsi sul "rilascio", o anche sulla "chiusura", è meglio aumentare il nostro livello di vaccinazione, migliorare la produzione di medicinali, costruire più letti di terapia intensiva e rafforzare i servizi di consegna di domicilio delle persone, per non lasciarle sole", come invece è accaduto in Occidente (❗️), con la privatizzazione del sistema sanitario dei paesi europei.

📄 "È necessario unificare gli standard del Codice Sanitario in tutto il Paese il prima possibile, collegare i risultati dei nuovi test in tutto il Paese, promuovere l'esperienza della Prevenzione e Controllo intelligente in più luoghi per far fluire più dati da analizzare al meglio, e minimizzare gli effetti del virus e i problemi delle persone" 📉

📄 "Alcuni membri del Partito sono deboli nella loro capacità di svolgere un lavoro sotto i riflettori: o evitano ciecamente e schivano le preoccupazioni delle masse, o parlano molto durante le conferenze stampa, ma i risultati non riflettono ciò che le masse vorrebbero ascoltare" - come si può vedere, c'è un forte spirito di auto-critica, legate alla campagna interna al Partito ( 三严三实), ovvero "Tre dichiarazioni di Onestà, Tre dichiarazioni di Severità" 📑

🔊 "È necessario esporre coloro che rifuggono alle proprie responsabilità, espellerli e promuovere coloro che sono in grado di parlare in maniera chiara e accurata - "站出来，给不确定的人更多的确定，让权威专业的声音说话" 🇨🇳

📄 "C'è solo uno scopo nella lotta contro l'epidemia, ed è quello di avvantaggiare le persone e proteggere la sicurezza di tutti. Con lo sviluppo dell'epidemia fino ad oggi, ogni aggiustamento del Piano di Prevenzione e Controllo rappresenta un passo in avanti verso il successo. [...] Per noi, la "Prevenzione e Controllo" è come navigare su una Grande Nave che trasporta 1,4 miliardi di persone all'altra sponda: navigare, rallentare, fermarsi, virare - questo è il motivo per cui il Piano di Prevenzione e Controllo è stato iterato dalla Prima alla Nona - e attuale - Edizione, e le nuove edizioni saranno sempre più accurate" 🛳

🌸 Iscriviti 👉 @collettivoshaoshan

⚠️ RELEASE OF PREVENTION AND CONTROL MEASURES, PART 1 - ELIMINATION OF CERTAIN OBLIGATIONS ⚠️

🇨🇳 The authorities of numerous cities, especially the larger and more populated ones, have optimized the Prevention and Control Measures by following and refining the Directives of the Ninth Edition of the Prevention and Control Plan, as well as the 20 Measures to Optimize Prevention, which include :

📄 Elimination of the obligation of frequent Molecular Tests, which until now were FREE.

📄 Elimination of the obligation to provide the results of Molecular Tests for the use of public transport.

🌃 In Shanghai, the Government announced that it will eliminate the need for a negative Molecular Test result for public transport and outdoor venues - 📄 Source at the bottom

🌆 In Shenzhen, the Government issued a statement confirming that residents will no longer need to provide a Molecular Test Certificate when entering public places such as pharmacies and attractions, as well as it will no longer be mandatory for public transport, while it will remain mandatory in airports and railway stations, where hundreds of thousands of people circulate every day - 📄 Source at the bottom

🏙 In Ürümqi, the authorities - who met the demonstrators during legitimate protests, not like the US and UK-directed ones in Shanghai - are stepping up their efforts to promote the full recovery of production, work and commercial activities, and will even reopen the ski resorts of the city - 📄 Source.

🏛 Easing measures have also been introduced in Beijing, such as the elimination of the obligation to present the result of the Molecular Test on buses and subways, which are also frequented by millions of citizens every day - 📄 Source.

🌇 Numerous restrictions have also been lifted in Guangzhou and Chengdu, eliminating the obligation to present a negative Molecular Test result to take buses and subways - 📄 Source.

🏙 Restrictions have also been lifted in Chongqing, and the authorities have invited residents to carry out Molecular Tests only when strictly necessary, and - moreover - the local authorities have stopped providing free Molecular Tests starting from Sunday, according to the principle "every person is individually responsible for his own health" - 📄 Source.

📊 A Molecular Test will cost 2.6 Yuan, or €0.35 per person for a combined sample, and 13 Yuan, or €1.77, for Individual Tests.

🏭 In Guangzhou, as of Saturday, nearly 7,700 key enterprises, 18,000 catering units and 219,000 wholesale and retail enterprises and 122 industrial plants in Tianhe District have fully resumed work and production, said Huang Kaixuan, Deputy -Chief Executive of the District.

🏨 The Beijing Health Commission has urged residents to fulfill their duty in preventing COVID-19 and to "be primarily responsible for their own health"

🧾 These measures - which certainly lighten the burden on Community Management, put to the test, as in other countries of the world, in the three years of COVID-19 - must not be seen as a "sudden opening" or an "easing full of COVID-19 restrictions", but as a response from the authorities to developments in the situation.

📄 On this issue, why you can't "let go" or "continue to do business as usual" regarding the COVID-19 measures, there will be separate posts, to better deal with the issue.

🩻 Wang Guangfa - Pneumology expert at the First Hospital of Beijing University - said that these adjustments should not be seen with a view to complete opening, but as an optimization of prevention and control measures in line with the characteristics of the variant of the virus, which allows the achievement of a new balance between epidemic control and economic-social measures.

⚠️ RELEASE OF PREVENTION AND CONTROL MEASURES, PART 2 - FROM VIRUS PREVENTION TO PREVENTION OF SERIOUS CASES AND DEATHS | PATHOGENICITY AND VIRULENCE ⚠️

📄 The previous post quoted Wang Guangfa - Pneumology expert at the First Hospital of Beijing University - who said that the new adjustments should not be seen as a complete opening, but as an optimization of prevention and control measures in line with the characteristics of the variant of the virus, and this will be the topic of the post.

🦠 To contain a highly contagious but weaker virulence virus, the cost of Epidemic Control Measures is much higher than that of the previous measures in dealing with less contagious but higher virulence strains such as the DELTA Variant, which makes current adjustments necessary, but "we are unlikely to emerge from the pandemic any time soon this winter, as many countries are facing similar resurgences," said Wang Guangfa.

🔬A Chinese Research Team has shown that the pathogenicity of OMICRON is decreased compared to the original Coronavirus Strain and its other Variants 📉

🏨 Pathogenicity and Virulence of COVID-19 Variants are the key issues on which Chinese scientists have focused, and the drastic decrease in the pathogenicity of OMICRON has been scientifically demonstrated at the Wuhan University Virology Laboratory 📉

🔬For those interested in the process and the experiment that led to the demonstration, you can read here 📄

💬 Lan Ke, Director of the Laboratory, said that the obtained results demonstrate that compared to the Original Strain, OMICRON has a weaker ability to cause disease combined with lower virulence - and therefore one should not panic about OMICRON, as many the damage it causes is considerably less than the Original Strain 📉

🧾 Earlier, a Research Paper published by scientists from Hong Kong University and Hainan Medical University in January 2022 showed that OMICRON replication substantially attenuated in human Calu3 and CaCO2 cells, and that OMICRON - compared to BETA and DELTA - causes the lowest mortality rate 📉

📑 The Process of Opening and Exiting the COVID-19 Pandemic should go step by step and not take sharp turns, as Chen Xi - Assistant Professor of Public Health at Yale University said, and the new focus will be preparation and use of more medical resources for severe cases, since the virulence of OMICRON is lower than the previous variants.

📊 As in Hong Kong, also in other areas of China the priority is which one to complete the vaccination process - which is not mandatory in China - of over-80 year olds, and then between 60-69 and 70-79, as groups high risk 🏥

💬 "To emerge from the Epidemic, it is crucial to build immunity among vulnerable groups and future work will not focus on eliminating the virus completely through Testing, but should focus on keeping the virulence of the virus at a very low level" said Zhang Wenhong, an epidemiologist in Shanghai.

💬 "We are now shifting our strategy from preventing the virus to preventing severe cases and deaths, so we need to focus more on the key vulnerable population," said Wang Guangfa.

⚠️ "PEOPLE FIRST" AND "EPIDEMIC PREVENTION FIRST" ARE NOT THE SAME - PART 1 ⚠️

🦠 Almost three years have passed since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, and almost all countries in the world have been affected.

🇺🇸 In first place for Number of COVID-19 Cases and Number of Deaths are the USA: 100,863,106 total cases | 1,106,860 dead 📊

🌸 The Goal of the Shaoshan Collective is to provide news and analysis for understanding the reality of China and its way of thinking through primary sources, not to provide a "Western view" of events, therefore the next document will shed light on why not may think that China can "go back to business as usual" ⬇️

📄 With the extension of the Prevention and Control Period - writes 浙江宣传, Zhejiang Propaganda Department Office - the resistance, as well as tolerance - even psychological - of many people has been put to the test. [...] Recently, in the name of Prevention, arbitrary measures have been implemented in some areas that have embarrassed the masses, causing distortion of the normal "20 Measures for Prevention and Control", neglecting the lives and safety of the masses, ruining the image of the Party, the Government and hurting people's hearts" 💔

📑 "Epidemic Prevention and Control - reads the press release of 浙江宣传 - serve to prevent viruses, not people's lives - it is "people first", not "epidemic prevention first", because - regardless of the type of measures taken, they should allow society to return to normal as soon as possible" ☀️

⚽️ "The World Cup is held in Qatar right now, and many notice the absence of masks, so much so that someone asked: "many countries in the world are now doing business as usual ["business as usual"], they they can "let go", why can't we?"

📊 To date, there are 636 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, and over 6.6 million deaths. In the last day [since the publication of the document] there have been 230,000 new cases and 428 deaths. Among them, Japan has a population of 126 million, with a confirmed daily increase of cases of 98,000, and South Korea - which has a population of over 50 million, has a daily increase of 47,000. cases.

📊 Looking at medical resources, China in 2022 had 6.7 medical beds per 1,000 inhabitants, while in 2020 South Korea had 12.65, Japan 12.63, Germany 7.82.

📊 In 2020, China had 4.5 ICU beds per 100,000 people, Germany 28.2, France 16.4 and Japan 13.8, for a global average of 10.

📊 At the end of 2021, China's population aged ≥ 60 was 267 million, while that of children exceeded 250 million, presenting the "one old, one young" situation 🇨🇳

🇸🇬 According to the latest data from Singapore, the infection fatality rates of elderly aged 60-69, 70-79 and 80+ with vaccine protection are 0.014%, 0.064% and 0.54% respectively - the rates of mortality due to infection of the elderly in the three age groups without vaccination protection are respectively 0.19%, 0.29%, 2.5% 📊

🇨🇳 In China, there are - for the three age groups treated - 22.64 million, 16.16 million and 14 million elderly people who have not been vaccinated (in China there is no vaccination obligation) 💉

📄 Completely "liberating", "letting go", and based on estimates of the death rate from infection, the death toll of the elderly aged ≥ 60 would reach 600,000 deaths, a disproportionately high number (❗️)

⚠️ "PEOPLE FIRST" AND "EPIDEMIC PREVENTION FIRST" ARE NOT THE SAME - PART 2 ⚠️

🇨🇳 Although the number of deaths - statistically - is "cold", in the end it falls on the families. As written in 浙江宣传's document: "Can we accept the reality of the death of our loved ones? Absolutely not, it is unacceptable. The Social System, our Historical Culture, our values ​​and our ethics do not allow us to look at our parents, grandparents and children face a death threat without doing anything and surrender" 🌺

🇺🇸|🇪🇺 "In some Western countries, hundreds of people died from the epidemic in a nursing home or even in their own homes, without home visits by doctors (❗️), if this happened in China, would be unacceptable, therefore efforts to control the epidemic should be understood" 🏥

📊 According to The Lancet, during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Global Excess Mortality Rate was estimated at 18.2 million, or 120.3 per 100,000 people, and in the US it was 179.3 per 100,000 people [ therefore higher than the global level], while in China the Excess Mortality Rate is only 0.6 per 100,000 people [much, much lower than the global level, ergo an excellent job has been done] 📉

🇺🇸|🇪🇺 The "go back to business as usual" style, the "business as usual" of Western countries is actually based on the loss of human lives (❗️) and the breakup of families (❗️) - HOW MANY LO THEY FORGOT?

📊 Data shows that the number of deaths in Europe from the new COVID-19 epidemic has exceeded 2 million, and the USA has exceeded 1.08 million, the country with the most COVID-19 deaths in the world 🇺🇸

❗️ Envying the "freedom" of Western countries, but ignoring the painful price they have paid is selective oblivion.

🌊 "If we compare the epidemic to a turbulent river, to reach the other side, some countries choose to enter the water naked, the "survival of the fittest" and acquiescence towards a large number of victims, while China chooses to help each other and overcome difficulties together, using a Big Ship as much as possible to give everyone the chance to survive", as witnessed by the enormous number of volunteers.

🏙 For example, in Chongqing, more than 600,000 volunteers, from Party cadres to residents, have offered help to deal with the latest outbreak of the epidemic 💞

🛳 "When the Great Ship struggles and gradually approaches the opposite shore, if you blindly envy those bathers who have already landed and swum across the river [and many have drowned] instead of making concerted efforts to row, then the previous efforts they will have been in vain" 😔

🇨🇳 The path that China has chosen to fight the epidemic has, from the very beginning, been different from that of Western countries, this must be very clear.

💭 The logic was and is: "以人为本" - "People Oriented", "实事求是" - "Seeking Truth from Facts" and "适应当前条件" - "Adapting to Current Conditions" 🇨🇳

⭐️ Between the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, the COVID-19 epidemic was fierce all over the world, and the authorities took drastic decisions to curb - in a short period of time - the spread of the virus 🦠

📊 Since the number of local cases subsequently - progressively - dropped to single digits, the authorities assessed the situation, coordinated the prevention and control of the epidemic with economic and social development, promoting the resumption of work and production in a orderly, becoming the only country in the world to achieve positive economic growth at a time when all major economies were negative (❗️) - 📄 Source at the bottom

⚠️ "PEOPLE FIRST" AND "EPIDEMIC PREVENTION FIRST" ARE NOT THE SAME - PART 3 ⚠️

🏛 Today, faced with the gradual weakening of the danger of the virus and the changes in the transmission characteristics, the authorities are promoting the "Dynamic Compensation" and placing greater emphasis on the scientific precision of the Prevention and Control Plans, introducing 20 Measures to optimize Prevention and the Control.

🏥 What is "Dynamic Compensation"? - "The Dynamic Compensation policy means suppressing an outbreak whenever it occurs and doing it in a relatively short amount of time so that it does not lead to the spread of the virus in the community" - 📄 Source at the bottom

📊 In 2021, China's GDP grew by 8.1%, and the Average Growth Rate in 2020 and 2021 was 5.1%, making it the best economy during the COVID-19 period.

❗️"Recently, in the process of implementing the "Dynamic Compensation" in some places, due to problems of understanding, capabilities and methods, prevention and control policies have been deformed"

🏙 "Some places have different interpretations of the "Dynamic Compensation" policy and the "20 Measures", and have worked without respecting the authority of the Central Government (❗️). In the eyes of some people, Prevention and Control are methods of managing own "small ponds", rather than jointly manage the "big flowing river" - they do not reason according to the Principle of "I am responsible for the flow of the river, you are responsible for the management" 🌊

💥"In some areas, having 'hit the accelerator' or making sudden 'shifts and then stalls' has severely damaged the masses' desire for stability - in some places either there is a closure or everything is left go, there was no "organized combination" and no will to scientifically optimize the prevention and control process"

📄 "Epidemic prevention first" in some places has replaced "people first" - and people's lives as well as the economy - has been undervalued, giving - among other things - too much importance to COVID-19 and COVID -19 only, distorting the Principle "生命至上" - "life before everything else / life first" 🌱

❗️Some officials "intensified" prevention, did not observe the Laws and "20 Measures", and negatively faced the masses, which froze people's hearts 😔

📄 The existence of these problems cannot be ignored, but it is unrealistic to attribute it every time to the "Dynamic Compensation" policy, and the current Prevention and Control Plan is similar to a "Balance of Interests" - built according to the following logic

💭 "Recognize people's sustainment and economic values, realize an "Optimized Solution" in a Multi-Objective Equilibrium, adhere to the General Policy of "Dynamic Compensation", focus on gradual objectives, highlight scientific accuracy, and ensure that policies are not out of phase or deformed" 🔬

⭐️ "This process will test the governance skills of the Party and Government Committees at all levels, as well as the Wisdom and Responsibility of the Party cadres" 🇨🇳

📄 "However, the Prevention and Control policies cannot be completely denied just because deviations from the implementation of the correct Prevention and Control Policies have been detected in some areas, as it would be unreasonable, blind to Grand Logic and sighted in front of to the Little Logic of the Moment" - but this certain "free thinkers" and anti-system wolves turned sheep when it comes to China will never understand.

🗄 "In response to the lack of skills and working style of individual Prevention staff, it is necessary to report them and urge them to make corrections, but you cannot generalize everything and think that ALL Prevention staff are incompetent and detached from the masses" 🇨 🇳

⚠️ "PEOPLE FIRST" AND "EPIDEMIC PREVENTION FIRST" ARE NOT THE SAME - PART 4 ​​⚠️

📄 "Getting out of the fog of the COVID-19 epidemic is not something that can be solved by saying "forget it", "don't worry about it", "it's already there", as such discussions - present in the West (❗️ ) - they won't automatically solve problems.Sweeping the dust under the rug doesn't work in the long run, but some "freethinkers" in the West will never figure it out.

🔬 "Conscientiously analyzing the current conditions, and building on them a work to improve the ability to deal with problems, striving to manage everything correctly, these are the foundations for which we should fight" 🧬

🦠 "Why can't the virus "be let go" immediately, since the fatality rate is low? We need to take vaccination as an example: in China, vaccination is not mandatory, and the recall vaccination rate of the aged ≥ 80 is 40%, and the general immunity level of the whole population is not high" 📊

💬 "Right now, instead of getting caught up in the talk of "release", or even "closure", it is better to increase our level of vaccination, improve the production of medicines, build more intensive care beds and strengthen the services of home delivery of people, so as not to leave them alone", as happened in the West instead (❗️), with the privatization of the healthcare system of European countries.

📄 "It is necessary to unify the standards of the Health Code across the country as soon as possible, connect the results of new tests across the country, promote the experience of Smart Prevention and Control in more places to let more data flow to better analyze , and minimize the effects of the virus and people's problems" 📉

📄 "Some Party members are weak in their ability to do work in the spotlight. They either blindly avoid and dodge the concerns of the masses, or they talk a lot at press conferences, but the results do not reflect what the masses would like to hear" - as you can see, there is a strong spirit of self-criticism, related to the internal Party campaign (三严三实), namely "Three Statements of Honesty, Three Statements of Severity" 📑

🔊 "It is necessary to expose those who shy away from their responsibilities, expel them and promote those who are able to speak clearly and accurately - "站出来，给不确定的人更多的确定，让权威专业的声音说话" 🇨 🇳

📄 "There is only one purpose in the fight against the epidemic, and that is to benefit people and protect everyone's safety. With the development of the epidemic to date, every adjustment of the Prevention and Control Plan represents a step forward to success [...] For us, "Prevention and Control" is like sailing on a Big Ship carrying 1.4 billion people to the other side: sail, slow down, stop, tack - that's why the Prevention and Control Plan has been iterated from the First to the Ninth - and current - Edition, and the new editions will be more and more accurate" 🛳

🌸 Subscribe 👉 @collettivoshaoshan

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Inz_kORneG7QyEttAXnZzg?fbclid=IwAR3gfaqMhKtkxGP4g3EFVEIriV6EpTWNwfqoeWMp6fUZtUmREtabaH5LE8w

http://en.people.cn/n3/2022/1129/c90000-10177371.html?fbclid=IwAR2o-BbFUF4B6HkRWhkxioc0glR20XrKdGJ73Rkxa4-VNzvoyHuKkg-GIrc

Do to links limit a couple sources couldn't be added,they can be found on the collective telegram with ease,but all the most relevant informations are still here on tumblr

[thoughtportal]

Opinion Here’s how to get free Paxlovid as many times as you need it

When the public health emergency around covid-19 ended, vaccines and treatments became commercial products, meaning companies could charge for them as they do other pharmaceuticals. Paxlovid, the highly effective antiviral pill that can prevent covid from becoming severe, now has a list price of nearly $1,400 for a five-day treatment course.

Thanks to an innovative agreement between the Biden administration and the drug’s manufacturer, Pfizer, Americans can still access the medication free or at very low cost through a program called Paxcess. The problem is that too few people — including pharmacists — are aware of it.

I learned of Paxcess only after readers wrote that pharmacies were charging them hundreds of dollars — or even the full list price — to fill their Paxlovid prescription. This shouldn’t be happening. A representative from Pfizer, which runs the program, explained to me that patients on Medicare and Medicaid or who are uninsured should get free Paxlovid. They need to sign up by going to paxlovid.iassist.com or by calling 877-219-7225. “We wanted to make enrollment as easy and as quick as possible,” the representative said.

Indeed, the process is straightforward. I clicked through the web form myself, and there are only three sets of information required. Patients first enter their name, date of birth and address. They then input their prescriber’s name and address and select their insurance type.

All this should take less than five minutes and can be done at home or at the pharmacy. A physician or pharmacist can fill it out on behalf of the patient, too. Importantly, this form does not ask for medical history, proof of a positive coronavirus test, income verification, citizenship status or other potentially sensitive and time-consuming information.

But there is one key requirement people need to be aware of: Patients must have a prescription for Paxlovid to start the enrollment process. It is not possible to pre-enroll. (Though, in a sense, people on Medicare or Medicaid are already pre-enrolled.)

Once the questionnaire is complete, the website generates a voucher within seconds. People can print it or email it themselves, and then they can exchange it for a free course of Paxlovid at most pharmacies.

Pfizer’s representative tells me that more than 57,000 pharmacies are contracted to participate in this program, including major chain drugstores such as CVS and Walgreens and large retail chains such as Walmart, Kroger and Costco. For those unable to go in person, a mail-order option is available, too.

The program works a little differently for patients with commercial insurance. Some insurance plans already cover Paxlovid without a co-pay. Anyone who is told there will be a charge should sign up for Paxcess, which would further bring down their co-pay and might even cover the entire cost.

Several readers have attested that Paxcess’s process was fast and seamless. I was also glad to learn that there is basically no limit to the number of times someone could use it. A person who contracts the coronavirus three times in a year could access Paxlovid free or at low cost each time.

Unfortunately, readers informed me of one major glitch: Though the Paxcess voucher is honored when presented, some pharmacies are not offering the program proactively. As a result, many patients are still being charged high co-pays even if they could have gotten the medication at no cost.

This is incredibly frustrating. However, after interviewing multiple people involved in the process, including representatives of major pharmacy chains and Biden administration officials, I believe everyone is sincere in trying to make things right. As we saw in the early days of the coronavirus vaccine rollout, it’s hard to get a new program off the ground. Policies that look good on paper run into multiple barriers during implementation.

Those involved are actively identifying and addressing these problems. For instance, a Walgreens representative explained to me that in addition to educating pharmacists and pharmacy techs about the program, the company learned it also had to make system changes to account for a different workflow. Normally, when pharmacists process a prescription, they inform patients of the co-pay and dispense the medication. But with Paxlovid, the system needs to stop them if there is a co-pay, so they can prompt patients to sign up for Paxcess.

Here is where patients and consumers must take a proactive role. That might not feel fair; after all, if someone is ill, people expect that the system will work to help them. But that’s not our reality. While pharmacies work to fix their system glitches, patients need to be their own best advocates. That means signing up for Paxcess as soon as they receive a Paxlovid prescription and helping spread the word so that others can get the antiviral at little or no cost, too.

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