Coronavirus - In the DR

[bienamor]

if obeyed it might help a bit.

yes it worked so well before. how many did they pick up be in the last curfew? and what percentage do you think they actually caught. Curfew does not work if people don't abide by it.

 

[drstock]

Both the DR and the US seem unable to take the measures that other countries have adopted to stop the virus.
Americans are obsessed with their freedoms and resist being told what to do even when it makes scientific sense.
I predict the virus will be with us in force until and if there is a vaccine.

Sadly, many of the same people resisting safety measures will probably also reject the idea of having to be vaccinated.

 

[drstock]

yes it worked so well before. how many did they pick up be in the last curfew? and what percentage do you think they actually caught. Curfew does not work if people don't abide by it.

Here in Cabarete there were work groups cleaning the streets. These were people caught breaking the curfew.

 

[CaribeDigital]

Sadly, many of the same people resisting safety measures will probably also reject the idea of having to be vaccinated.

If we can force (most) bikers to wear helmets, although the helmet does not contribute to the safety of other people, why shouldn't we force people to get the vaccine, if it does contribute to the safety of others?

 

[NanSanPedro]

If we can force (most) bikers to wear helmets, although the helmet does not contribute to the safety of other people, why shouldn't we force people to get the vaccine, if it does contribute to the safety of others?

It's a personal freedom issue. I got the flu shot in boot camp when I was 18. Didn't like it then and haven't had one since and have never had the flu. I won't get one for the Kung flu either.

 

[zoomzx11]

Might work for you. Might work for me. For the next couple of years.


I am normally an optimistic person.
I cannot see a way out of this epidemic for the DR.

I am hopeful there will be a vaccine but it is not a certainty.
Aids is caused by a virus but there has never been a vaccine developed after years of effort.
Lets hope Covid does not turn out to be a hardened vaccine proof virus.

 

[scot_tosh]

Immunity to Covid-19 could be lost in months, UK study suggests

Exclusive: King’s College London team found steep drops in antibody levels three months after infection

www.theguardian.com

 

[franco1111]

True some need to start up and adapt.

It is very eerie here in PC. The place accomodates something like 6 million tourists each year. (I won't say it was built for that because it wasn't - it just kind of evolved). But now, of course, things are completely slow. Unused streets, unused gua guas, usused buildings, etc. Kind of like a ghost town. Gas stations and grocery stores open. And, now some hotels. But hardly noticeable.

It does need to come back. Maybe at a level that makes more sense.

 

[bienamor]

If we can force (most) bikers to wear helmets, although the helmet does not contribute to the safety of other people, why shouldn't we force people to get the vaccine, if it does contribute to the safety of others?

you been out of cities much. not counting the ones the helmet on the elbow, handle bars, delivery basket etc etc. even the police don't wear them half the time while they are tooling down a one way street the wrong way. and the barrios helmets are few and far between

 

[lifeisgreat]

you been out of cities much. not counting the ones the helmet on the elbow, handle bars, delivery basket etc etc. even the police don't wear them half the time while they are tooling down a one way street the wrong way. and the barrios helmets are few and far between

it’s mostly North Coast Thing...

 

[windeguy]

Immunity to Covid-19 could be lost in months, UK study suggests

Exclusive: King’s College London team found steep drops in antibody levels three months after infection

www.theguardian.com

That is terrible, terrible, terrible news.

 

[aarhus]

That is terrible, terrible, terrible news.

I think we are in for the long haul with this virus.

 

[lifeisgreat]

That is terrible, terrible, terrible news.

Out of article..
Prof Jonathan Heeney, a virologist at the University of Cambridge, said the study confirmed a growing body of evidence that immunity to Covid-19 is short-lived. “Most importantly, it puts another nail in the coffin of the dangerous concept of herd immunity,” he said.

“I cannot underscore how important it is that the public understands that getting infected by this virus is not a good thing. Some of the public, especially the youth, have become somewhat cavalier about getting infected, thinking that they would contribute to herd immunity. Not only will they place themselves at risk, and others, by getting infected, and losing immunity, they may even put themselves at greater risk of more severe lung disease if they get infected again in the years to come.”

 

[austriaco]

What I'm about to write is not a bias or criticism about DR, because I want them to be successful and healthy. From everything that I have read, the medical scientists recommend an amount of testing that will achieve a positivity rate of about 5%. Very high positivity rate indicates that the majority of the tests are performed on sick patients and therefore is not representative of the population as a whole. Al of the graphs posted above show a positivity rate of over 20%.

But with that you are just saying you have to provide as much tests as needed to get to the 5%. They need 20000 tests a day to get to that level and then they will have much more daily cases.

its not that they test the wrong persons, its they dont have enough tests so they can only test the serios ill.

 

[austriaco]

It was very hard for me to get the PCR test. That tells me that the ones who get tested are exhibiting clear symptoms so off course the positivity rate will be high.

My story: I had positive Rapid Test on june 1. Go started on ivermecting regimen on day 3. Started symptoms on day 3 at night.
I had Rx for PCR test on day 3. Had to be done with Referencia lab and they must come to your house. They wont even look at you at the lab itself. So I went home and was told to send the Rx, my cedula and the insurance card to the lab with Whatsapp. I did and got acknowledgment of receipt. They say they will call to schedule the test. I waited and waited, called and called..no answer. Then they finally answered the phone .. they had lost my request. I sent everything again. They received again. The next day they scheduled the test for the following day. I have to pay 500 pesos for the cab they will take. Cannot eat half hour before the test, but they only tell you the test will be after 8am. So you wait, and wait, and call them at 10am. They are on their way. Then they cannot find the place even with clear instructions. Then they call me again wanting confirmation that I will indeed pay for the cab. When I said yes, they finally showed up. Nose swab performed using the same long Q-tips for both nostrils. No throat swab although i had sore throat. Got negative results 1 day later. All together about 2 weeks from onset of symptoms. I almost gave up several times and a poorer person would not/could not pay for cab ride.
All of this to say that I understand a high positivity rate when it is so hard to get tested (although mine was negative).

PCR has false negative tests, but no false positives.

the rapid tests have a lot of false positives

now really you don't know if you had it or not. As the positive rapid tests may be false or the negative PCR.

thats why they do in other countries with enough testing 3 pcr tests on different days in a case like yours. As there are no false positives doing more of that test helps eliminate the false negatives.

 

[austriaco]

This has been on Facebook:

"I wanted to put this out there. I have worked in a clean room for 23 years and 10 years on Submarines before that. OSHA is the standard that you have to live by in these environments. So for the people that are going to say, listen to the experts, OSHA would be those experts on face masks. Please read the following with an open mind. Not going to change the mind of the hard core believers, but it would be nice for those people to not attack us that are not, as not caring. Not going to debate this, just putting it out there.

COPIED FROM AN OSHA CERTIFIED GENTLEMAN:
If you care, then share.
For all you mask wearers (especially those of you who think wearing it outside is NOT stupid 🤦🏼‍♀️). I know I’m about to burst your “google doctor degree” bubble, but here goes nothing.
So Masks?
I am OSHA 10&30 certified. I know some of you are too. I don’t really know WHY OSHA hasn’t come forward and stopped the nonsense BUT I want to cover 3 things
• N95 masks and masks with exhale ports
• surgical masks
• filter or cloth masks
Okay, so upon further inspection, OSHA says some masks are okay and not okay in certain situations.
If you’re working with fumes and aerosol chemicals and you give your employees the wrong masks and they get sick, you can be sued.
• N95 masks: are designed for CONTAMINATED environments. That means when you exhale through N95 the design is that you are exhaling into contamination. The exhale from N95 masks are vented to breath straight out without filtration. They don’t filter the air on the way out. They don’t need to.
Conclusion: if you’re in Target and the guy with Covid has a N95 mask, his covid breath is unfiltered being exhaled into Target (because it was designed for already contaminated environments, it’s not filtering your air on the way out).
• Surgical Mask: these masks were designed and approved for STERILE environments. The amount of particles and contaminants in the outside and indoor environments where people are CLOGGING these masks very, VERY quickly. The moisture from your breath combined with the clogged mask will render it “useless” IF you come in contact with Covid and your mask traps it, YOU become a walking virus dispenser. Everytime you put your mask on you are breathing the germs from EVERYWHERE you went. They should be changed or thrown out every “20-30 minutes in a non sterile environment.”
• health, rather than protect it. The moisture caught in these masks can become mildew ridden over night. Dry coughing, enhanced allergies, sore throat are all symptoms of a micro-mold in your mask.
-Ultimate Answer:
*N95 blows the virus into the air from a contaminated person.
*The surgical mask is not designed for the outside world and will not filter the virus upon inhaling through it. It’s filtration works on the exhale, (Like a vacuum bag, it only works one way) but likely stops after 20 minutes, rendering it useless outside of a STERILE ENVIRONMENT (correct Becky, they don’t work in a bar, not even a little bit).
*Cloth masks are WORSE than none. It’s equivalent to using a chain link fence to stop mosquitos.
The CDC wants us to keep wearing masks. The masks don’t work. They’re being used to provide false comfort and push forward a specific agenda. For the love of God, research each mask’s designed use and purpose, I bet you will find NONE are used in the way of “viral defense.”
Just like EVERY Flu season kids, wash your hands. Sanitize your hands. Don’t touch stuff. Sanitize your phone. Don’t touch people. And keep your distance. Why? Because your breath stinks, your deodorant is failing, your shoes are old and stink, that shirts not clean, & I like my space. Trust me I can hear you from here. Lots of reasons to keep your distance and work on body hygiene. But trust me, the masks do not work.
*Occupational Safety & Hazard Association sited.
The top American organization for safety.
They regulate and educate asbestos workers, surgical rooms, you name it.
I know, facts suck. They throw a wrench into the perfectly (seeming) packaged pill you are willingly swallowing. Facts make you have to form your OWN OPINION, instead of regurgitating someone else’s, and I know how uncomfortable that makes a lot of you. If your mask gives you security, by all means wear it. Just know it is a false sense of security and you shouldn’t shame anyone into partaking in such “conspiracies.”
If select politicians stopped enforcing it, no one would continue this nonsense....

This is factual incorrect. Only 95 mask with valves are contaminating others. Only a very small fraction of 95 masks hace a valve. Basically I see none in daily life with valves - I have seen those with valves so I know how they look like (Masks madatory and used here). I use myself 95 masks without valve And I assure you my breath is filtered through the mask.

for the rest I have no direct observation but there is enough studies proofing the rest is incorrect too.

but some peoplelikevto spread wrong information and its no surprice why the US is world leader in cases -because of misinformation

 

[austriaco]

There is a clear connection between general level of education of the population and level of misinformation spread and number of cases.

the level of the health system has no influence in that.

less education is more cases and more rumors and false information spreading is more cases.

Anyone can make that correlation bases on case numbers per country and education level. ( dont be fooled by a small part of a population beeing world class educated if 95% of the population has no proper general education )

Look to Asia with its superior level of education for example.

On the other side bad news for DR as the population is feeding on chismes and the ranking last place in PISA school test is no good sign either.

 

[windeguy]

Sadly, many of the same people resisting safety measures will probably also reject the idea of having to be vaccinated.

With immunity from actually having CV19 lasting a few months at best, and the results from early vaccine study showing a vaccine lasting even less, there is virtually no chance an effective vaccine will ever exist. Are people going to get a vaccine injection every two or three months to keep up their immunity? Perhaps, but it seems unlikely. Maybe those at highest risk of death. Antivaxers will have a field day with that concept.

How is a vaccine ever going to be more effective in generating protective antibodies than actually having the disease itself where the protection only lasts a few months and then you can get the disease again?

Unfortunately this is all going exactly like I expected it might. And that is not good. People will have to think of different approaches. Those antibody tests to see if you had the disease already are likely to be pointless wastes of time and effort. With fading hopes for a vaccine and any type of long term immunity, what will be done next?

 

[windeguy]

Lots of talk that the DR must take a step back and impose restrictions again by those on TV and social media.

This would mean another State of Emergency to have such curfews. A Minister of Health alone does not have such power.
I think that another State of Emergency is as unlikely as creating an effective vaccine will be given recent news.

The new normal will contain higher risks.

 

[aarhus]

Lots of talk that the DR must take a step back and impose restrictions again by those on TV and social media.

This would mean another State of Emergency to have such curfews. A Minister of Health alone does not have such power.
I think that another State of Emergency is as unlikely as creating an effective vaccine will be given recent news.

The new normal will contain higher risks.

Yes I think the DR already chose a path of living with it. More restrictions is needed though. Maybe a curfew. Education on precautions like mask, washing hands and higiene and distancing. Also keep border open. Travel will be limited anyway. Maybe reward the legal residents and home owners. I am not a fan of the Jamaica and especially not the Cuba approach of keeping tourists isolated. I just don’t think that’s what the DR is about. Resources should be directed towards health care. Maybe tourism industry paying into that.