I am living in the middle of the emergency over coronavirus in Finland. Due this reason the update cycle to make posting to this blog could be slowed down.
The Finnish government announced on Monday nationwide school closures in order to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. Read more on the following aricles:
Finland closes schools, declares state of emergency over coronavirus
https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/finland_closes_schools_declares_state_of_emergency_over_coronavirus/11260062
Daycare centres are to stay open but parents were asked to keep their kids home if possible. The government also published a 19-point list of emergency legislation that takes effect on 18 March.
Coronavirus latest: 359 cases confirmed in Finland, S-Group shuts its Helsinki eateries, bankruptcy fears mount
https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/coronavirus_latest_359_cases_confirmed_in_finland_s-group_shuts_its_helsinki_eateries_bankruptcy_fears_mount/11249610
Here is a link to an earlier post related to Coronavirus:
https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2020/02/12/mobile-trends-2020-mwc-canceled/
1,657 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Future Air Travel: Four-Hour Process, Self Check-In, Disinfection, Immunity Passes
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ceciliarodriguez/2020/05/10/future-air-travel-four-hour-process-self-check-in-disinfection-immunity-passes/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Valerie/#76616c657269
Once airports and borders open again and people are able to fly freely — a process already in play as airports of all sizes around the world ready strategies to ensure healthy air travel — how much are you ready to change your flying habits?
Considering some of the changes already happening and the many more recommended before airports can reopen safely to commercial routes, some experts are referring to the coronavirus pandemic as ‘the new terrorism,’ triggering the the biggest crisis the airline industry has ever faced.
Let’s start with the entire process of checking in for flights, which experts calculate could take up to four hours and involving social distancing, sanitation of passengers and luggage, wider spaces for various lines and waiting to board.
Nine out of 10 experts expect slower turnarounds between flights due to the need of thorough cleaning of cabins and following of sanitary measures at airports.
Among the steps under consideration: no cabin bags, no lounges, no automatic upgrades, face masks, surgical gloves, self-check-in, self-bag-drop-off, immunity passports, on-the-spot blood tests and sanitation disinfection tunnels
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), “the ‘new normal’ at major airports, such as Heathrow, JFK and Singapore Changi will include almost exclusive use of online check-ins, and contactless payments.
“Only those ‘fit to fly’ will be allowed to enter,” predicts the airline strategy firm SimpliFlying, in a recent report, where it identifies more than 70 different areas in the passenger journey that “are expected to either change or to be introduced from scratch, including having bags ‘sanitagged’ after going through fogging, electrostatic or UV-disinfection to restore confidence in flying after COVID-19.”
The Telegraph explains that “it may sound futuristic, but UV sanitation is likely to become commonplace at the world’s airports. London Heathrow says it is to begin trialling the process for its security trays.”
The boarding process is expected also to become ‘touchless,’ with options including facial recognition, already used in some U.S. airports for international flights. On the planes, there will be blocked seats, electrostatic spraying, personnel in protective gear and, of course, masks. Major European carriers such as Air France and KLM already have made them compulsory and it’s expected that all other airlines will do the same.
As for food, the tendency is to stop serving altogether on short-haul flights, while the airlines consider ‘light refreshments’ for long-haul flights. Hong Kong Airlines has decided to stop offering food altogether.
At the arrival point, SimpliFlying forecasts, international passengers will need to show some type of immunity document/passport, also advocated by the International Air Transport Association, IATA, to border control agents. Once a vaccine has been found, that could shift to a proof of vaccination.
“Arriving passengers will also undergo another temperature screening at their final destination and potentially even blood tests for COVID-19,” Conde Nast predicts. “Some airports like Hong Kong and Vienna are testing passengers for the coronavirus with a blood test before they are allowed to enter the country. Those types of tests, however, might be short-lived.”
Thermal testing is also recommended by IATA, “while Airlines UK, which represents British Airways, EasyJet and Virgin Atlantic, has said ‘pre-screening’ of travelers should be introduced ideally as early in the passenger journey as possible,” reports The Telegraph.
The international institution says that the sector will face a gradual return to travel over the coming months as a “new normal” emerges before a vaccine becomes available on a mass scale, large enough to inoculate billions of people.
The new protocols and standards are being defined following feedback from associations representing the different travel sectors including International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Airport Council International (ACI), Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), United States Travel Association (USTA), Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the European Travel Commission (ETC) and the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Silicon Valley Workplace Will Never Be the Same
Communal lunches, soda machines and the open-floor office may become relics.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-06/tech-offices-will-never-be-the-same-after-coronavirus
When the headquarters of Mission Bio reopens next week, employees will find many of the familiar perks they enjoyed before Silicon Valley went into lockdown have changed. Instead of the communal trays of catered lunches served a few times a week, each employee will get their own boxed meal. The snacks will remain free, but the soda machine and tub of almonds will be replaced with canned beverages, bottled water and individually wrapped protein bites. One new benefit: Every two weeks, the startup plans to provide Covid-19 tests onsite to any staff member who wants one.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Abby Ohlheiser / MIT Technology Review:
A look at the symbiotic ties of anti-vaxxers and COVID-19 conspiracy theorists with mainstream YouTubers, as the platform tries to regulate misinformation — Covid-19 conspiracy theorists are still getting millions of views on YouTube, even as the platform cracks down on health misinformation.
https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/05/07/1001252/youtube-covid-conspiracy-theories/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hannah Murphy / Financial Times:
NewsGuard report: Twitter is failing to clamp down on COVID-19 misinformation “superspreaders”, including some verified accounts with over 100,000 followers — Posts from high-profile accounts found to be promoting questionable virus therapies and cures
https://t.co/tBXNusQ9jZ
Tomi Engdahl says:
Zack Whittaker / TechCrunch:
A researcher found NSO Group’s contact tracing system, codenamed “Fleming”, unprotected on the Internet, NSO says system was a demo, hence not a security lapse
A passwordless server run by spyware maker NSO sparks contact-tracing privacy concerns
https://techcrunch.com/2020/05/07/nso-group-fleming-contact-tracing/
Tomi Engdahl says:
A flood of coronavirus apps are tracking us. Now it’s time to keep track of them.
https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/05/07/1000961/launching-mittr-covid-tracing-tracker/
There’s a deluge of apps that detect your covid-19 exposure, often with little transparency. Our Covid Tracing Tracker project will document them.
As the covid-19 pandemic rages, technologists everywhere have been rushing to build apps, services, and systems for contact tracing: identifying and notifying all those who come in contact with a carrier. Some are lightweight and temporary, while others are pervasive and invasive: China’s system, for example, sucks up data including citizens’ identity, location, and even online payment history so that local police can watch for those who break quarantine rules.
Some services are being produced locally by small groups of coders, while others are vast, global operations. Apple and Google are mobilizing huge teams to build their upcoming systems that notify people of potential exposure, which could be used by hundreds of millions of people almost immediately.
Opinions differ on whether these apps are just a technocratic daydream or—if done correctly—a potentially useful supplement to manual tracing
Despite the avalanche of services, however, we know very little about them or how they could affect society. How many people will download and use them, and how widely used do they have to be in order to succeed? What data will they collect, and who is it shared with? How will that information be used in the future? Are there policies in place to prevent abuse?
So to help monitor this fast-evolving situation, we’re gathering the information into a single place for the first time with our Covid Tracing Tracker—a database to capture details of every significant automated contact tracing effort around the world.
So far we have documented 25 individual, significant automated contact tracing efforts globally, including details on what they are, how they work, and what policies and processes have been put in place around them.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Preparation for introduction of an application to trace chains of transmission continues – proposal for a roadmap circulated for comments
https://valtioneuvosto.fi/en/article/-/asset_publisher/1271139/tartuntaketjuja-jaljittavan-sovelluksen-kayttoonoton-valmistelu-jatkuu-esitys-etenemisesta-lausunnoille
Tomi Engdahl says:
Monet maat ovat ”voitolla” koronasodassa, mutta tutkijaverkosto niputtaa Suomen ongelmamaiden kerhoon Ruotsin ja USA:n kanssa
https://www.hs.fi/ulkomaat/art-2000006504651.html
Tutkijaverkoston mukaan lukuisat maat ovat ”voitolla” koronataistelussa, kun taas Suomi kuuluu Ruotsin ja Yhdysvaltain tavoin ongelmamaihin. Koronakriisin jälkeen voi odottaa raadollinen maailma, jossa pandemiaa edeltävät ongelmat syvenevät entisestään.
MIKÄ yhdistää Kroatiaa, Islantia, Jordaniaa, Uutta-Seelantia ja Vietnamia?
Normaalisti ei paljon mikään. Mutta sellaista on korona-aika, että nämä valtiot kuuluvat tällä hetkellä ”voittajiin” – maihin, joissa viruksen leviäminen on saatu kuriin ja joissa covid-19-tautia ollaan ”murskaamassa”.
Tällaisia maita on nyt ainakin parikymmentä, laskee Endcoronavirus.org-tutkijaverkosto, joka kartoittaa verkkosivuillaan eri maiden koronatilannetta ja toimia tartuntojen kitkemiseksi. Sivustolla on voittajien lisäksi kaksi muutakin kategoriaa: ”lähes maalissa olevat maat” sekä ”maat, joiden pitää tarttua toimeen”.
Suomi kuuluu tutkijoiden mukaan viimeksi mainittujen ongelmamaiden kerhoon esimerkiksi Yhdysvaltain, Ruotsin ja Intian kanssa.
Kuolleita on niin vähän, kolmisensataa, että Suomen kokonaiskuolleisuus oli maaliskuussa pienempi pariin edellisvuoteen verrattuna.
MUTTA jos ajatellaan pandemiaa ”ihmiskunta vastaan virus” -maailmansotana, tilanne on tällä hetkellä se, että osa maista näyttäisi lyöneen vihollisen, osa rimpuilee juoksuhaudoissa ja kenttäsairaaloissa saaden kovia iskuja ja osa näyttää tyytyvän torjuntataisteluun, jossa virukselle on pantu ihan kunnolla hanttiin, mutta sen tuhoamisesta ei uskalleta edes haaveilla.
”Koska pandemia on globaali, epidemian uudelleenkäynnistymisen uhka olisi kuitenkin pysyvä eikä rajoituksista voitaisi luopua hyvin pitkään aikaan, vaan niitä pitäisi jatkaa jopa vuosien ajan”, todettiin Suomen hallituksen päätöksenteon avuksi laaditussa, valtiovarainministeriön kansliapäällikkö Martti Hetemäen johtaman ryhmän raportissa.
SUOMI on omaksumassa hybridistrategian, jossa nojataan ”testaa, jäljitä, eristä ja hoida” -periaatteeseen.
Estetään leviämistä, mutta ei estetä taudin leviäminen.
Aivelon mukaan epäselväksi on jäänyt, onko Suomen tavoitteena lopulta niin sanottuun laumasuojaan pääseminen tai ehkä siihen ajautuminen. Kun tietty osa väestöstä, kenties 60 prosenttia, on saanut taudin, sen leviäminen lakkaa jo ennen kuin sitä pysäyttävä mahdollinen rokote on saatu aikaan.
”Hallitus on sanonut selvästi, että tavoite ei ole laumaimmuniteetti. Mikä minua epäilyttää on se, että ei ole asetettu numeerisia tavoitteita, että mikä on liikaa leviämistä. Sitä ei sanota ääneen”
VAIKKA kriisi on vielä täysin kesken, jo nyt voidaan tarkastella pysäytyskuvaa maailmasta, joka on muutaman kuukauden aikana syntynyt.
Se on maailma, jossa kansallisvaltioiden asema on vahvistunut, monet rajat sulkeutuneet, usko auktoriteetteihin lujittunut ja muun maailman ongelmista välittäminen siirtynyt hamaan tulevaisuuteen.
”Korona on kakun päällinen, joka peittää alleen kaikki ongelmat, jotka joudutaan myöhemmin ratkaisemaan.”
VALTAOSA ihmisistä on välttänyt koronatartunnan, mutta pandemian taloudellisilta vaikutuksilta ei ole säästynyt kukaan. Yleisesti hoetaan, että nyt ollaan talouskriisissä, jollaista ei ole nähty sitten 1930-luvun suuren laman.
MITTASUHTEET eivät vääristy vain rahasummissa. Poikkeusoloissa on vaikea hahmottaa, mikä on enää suuri uutinen.
Ja mitä kauemmin maat pysyvät oheisen maailmankartan oranssien ja punaisten maiden vyöhykkeellä, sitä pidempään ne joutuvat myös odottamaan niin sanottua paluuta globalisaatioon.
Pian koittaa aika, kun eri maat pohtivat matkustusrajoitusten osittaista purkamista. Silloin etulyöntiasemassa ovat luultavasti tautitilanteensa taltuttaneet vihreän vyöhykkeen maat. Sellaiset, joita ei nähdä viruslinkoina ja pettävien rintamalinjojen maina.
”Jonkun vuoden ajan” voi kuulostaa julmalta arviolta. Mutta Hetemäen ryhmän raportissa sanotaan, että ”tällä hetkellä optimistisimmatkin arviot ovat, että rokotetta todennäköisesti joudutaan odottamaan vuosia, eikä sen onnistuneesta kehittämisestä ole takeita”.
KORONAKRIISIN pitkän aikavälin vaikutuksia maailmaan on mahdoton ennustaa. On todennäköistä, että tällä hetkellä tehdään koronasilmälasien läpi mahtipontisia ja yliampuvia arvioita siitä, kuinka suurta historiallista käännekohtaa nyt eletään. Tai sitten ei tehdä.
Kriiseihin liittyy myös aina positiivisia mahdollisuuksia, jotka kytkeytyvät ajatukseen, että ihminen olisi oppivainen eläin. Tutkija Katja Creutzin mukaan voi olla, että esimerkiksi globaalit terveyshankkeet saavat jatkossa enemmän tukea.
Creutzin toiveena on myös, että kaikkien ihmisten joutuminen hetkeksi yhteiseen ahdinkoon ja epävarmuuteen voisi synnyttää lisää solidaarisuutta
Toisaalta ihmisillä on tapana unohtaa kriisit nopeasti ja palata vanhoihin toimintamalleihin: jalot ajatukset ja ylevät lupaukset hautautuvat jonkin uuden kriisin alle.
Toisen maailmansodan jälkeen maailman valtiot vannoivat, että ”ei enää ikinä” sallita yhdenkään kansan murhaamista. Kunnes sellaisia tapahtui monta.
Vuoden 2008 finanssikriisin rytinöissä puhuttiin, että kapitalismi on muuttava olemustaan ikiajoiksi.
koronaviruksen taltuttamistoimien onnistuminen ei ole osoittanut mitään merkittävää tehokkuuseroa autoritaaristen tai demokraattisten hallitusten välillä.
On kuitenkin kannettu aiheellista huolta siitä, että pandemia synnyttäisi jonkinlaisen autoritaaristen järjestelmien riemumarssin. Tämä on todellinen uhka esimerkiksi valvontateknologian käytön laajenemisessa.
Samaan hengenvetoon on hyvä muistaa, että demokratia ja ihmisoikeudet ovat ottaneet takapakkia jo vuosikausien ajan ennen pandemiaakin
Maaliskuun alussa Freedom House -järjestö julkaisi raportin, jossa se kertoi poliittisten oikeuksien ja kansalaisvapauksien heikentyneen globaalisti jo neljätoista vuotta perätysten. Niin on käynyt myös monissa vakiintuneissa demokratioissa.
Pandemian aiheuttama lama voi tuoda mukanaan populistisen politiikan aallon. Toisaalta koronaviruksen synnyttämä tiedonjano on ollut tujua vasta-ainetta kaikenlaisille pötypuheille, minkä takia edessä voi olla myös totuudenjälkeisen ajan jälkeinen valistusaika 2.0.
Koronavirus voi pönkittää yhtä itsevaltiasta tai demokraattisesti valittua johtajaa, horjuttaa toista ja kaataa kolmannen. Mitään automatiikkaa tähän poikkeukselliseen tilanteeseen ei liity. Onko pandemiassa ”voittajia”, siitä saavat historioitsijat myöhemmin kinastella.
TUOMAS Aivelon toiveena on, että koronakriisi avaisi silmiä sille, miten suuriin tekoihin voidaan lyhyessä ajassa pystyä, kun niihin on oikea tahtotila.
”En usko maailman muuttumiseen. Ihmisillä on loistava halu ja kyky palata normaaliin arkeen ja jatkaa niin kuin ennenkin”, Aivelo sanoo.
Tomi Engdahl says:
SOME ARE WINNING – SOME ARE NOT
WHICH COUNTRIES DO BEST IN BEATING COVID-19?
https://www.endcoronavirus.org/countries
Tomi Engdahl says:
Coronavirus: Israel turns surveillance tools on itself
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-52579475
We’re in the bomb shelter below his Jerusalem apartment block – the only place the photographer has been able to work since his studio closed in the lockdown.
“I was shocked,” he says as he reads out the message from the Israeli government. “It’s telling me that I was next to someone that has corona… and that I must go into quarantine.”
He obeyed the order that came in late March, cancelling lucrative wedding shoots and shutting himself away from his wife and four small children, even though he had no symptoms.
Mr Kotkovsky is one of thousands of Israelis who have been alerted by similar messages. In the fight to contain the coronavirus, Israel’s internal security agency – the Shin Bet – was empowered to use covert systems to track people’s movements.
The Shin Bet can access the location data of millions of mobile phone users to trace those who have been in proximity to confirmed patients. Israel credits the system, among other measures, with reducing the rate of infection.
“It is precisely now when we need this tool… to break the chain of contagion and permit the people to go on with their lives,” said National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat at a parliamentary oversight committee last week.
How accurate is the geo-location data? “Accurate enough. It’s a very, very, very sensitive tool, ok? But I don’t want to add another word about the sensitivity,” he says, arguing that it could reveal capabilities to enemies.
The agency believes the system has located almost 4,000 individuals who later tested positive – around a quarter of the confirmed Covid-19 cases in Israel.
However, concerns have been raised about whether it is picking up too many people, including those who simply pass a patient in the street. Almost 79,000 people have been sent messages based on the Shin Bet data, the government says.
The Israel Association of Public Health Physicians told MPs that the programme raised “the substantial possibility of various errors”, saying that “close contact” meant a distance of less than 2m for more than 15 minutes.
Others believe mass surveillance programmes scrambled to deal with the pandemic are rife for abuse around the world. “What scares me is that, at least for now, the norm is suddenly changing,” says cybersecurity analyst John Scott-Railton of the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab.
“People who have been [quietly] doing these things which are highly questionable are suddenly saying: ‘Look, we’re your saviours here.’”
The Shin Bet has previously said individuals’ data will be used only for providing instructions to save lives, and will be deleted 60 days after the coronavirus emergency is lifted.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Finavia: Lentokenttien henkilökunnalle maskipakko – matkustajille vahva suositus
Tänään klo 11:14
https://www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/4731b847-6f7b-4e2f-bcd2-5af796c97ef5
Finavia valmistautuu lentoliikenteen normalisoitumiseen asettamalla henkilökunnalle hengityssuojainpakon.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Maskipakko otetaan käyttöön Finnairin lennoilla – koskee myös matkustajia
Tänään klo 12:48
Finnairin lennoille ei ole asiaa, mikäli syntyy pieninkin epäilys koronainfektiosta.
https://www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/a1fb53e9-d8cb-4e2d-9f8e-85f9dc5c84d5
Tomi Engdahl says:
Parodia:
Asiantuntijamme arvio: Asiantuntijuuden leviämistä lähes mahdotonta estää
Maakuntakirjeenvaihtajamme 07.05.2020
http://cheatingu.com/uutissirkus/?p=3400
Suomessa on nyt todettu 1,2 miljoonaa koronapandemian maallikkoasiantuntijaa. Eilisen jälkeen on löydetty miltei 120 000 uutta asiantuntijatapausta.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ammattihakkeri ei lataisi koronasovellusta: “Olemme valmiita luopumaan asioista, joista pitäisi ainakin käydä keskustelua”
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11347345?origin=rss
Benjamin Särkkä ei itse aio ladata tartuntoja jäljittävää
työkalua kännykkäänsä.
Benjamin Särkän mukaan pandemia-aikana turvallisuus menee liian helposti yksilön oikeuksien edelle.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Watch: Viral Japanese Video Shows How Quickly COVID-19 Can Spread At A Buffet
https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2020/05/11/watch-viral-japanese-video-shows-how-quickly-covid-19-can-spread-at-a-buffet/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Valerie/#76616c657269
The COVID-19 pandemic has cruise lines, resorts and casinos around the country rethinking how to modify or eliminate buffet service — and that’s good news.
NHK, Japan’s public broadcasting organization, in collaboration with infectious disease experts, recently conducted an experiment to demonstrate how quickly COVID-19 and other viruses can spread at a buffet aboard a cruise ship or in a restaurant. The network posted a video of the experiment that has gone viral.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How Facebook is Using AI to Fight COVID-19 Misinformation
https://spectrum.ieee.org/view-from-the-valley/artificial-intelligence/machine-learning/how-facebook-is-using-ai-to-fight-covid19-misinformation
Fifty million posts full of falsehoods about the coronavirus were disseminated on Facebook in April. And 2.5 million ads for face masks, Covid-19 test kits, and other coronavirus products tried to circumvent an advertising ban since 1 March. The ban was designed to prevent scammers and others trying to profit from people’s fears about the pandemic.
Those are just the pieces of coronavirus content that were identified as problematic and flagged or removed by Facebook during the period. The flood of misinformation is certainly larger, as not every fake or exploitative post is easily detectable.
“These are difficult challenges, and our tools are far from perfect,”
Using AI to detect COVID-19 misinformation and exploitative content
https://ai.facebook.com/blog/using-ai-to-detect-covid-19-misinformation-and-exploitative-content
The COVID-19 pandemic is an incredibly complex and rapidly evolving global public health emergency. Facebook is committed to preventing the spread of false and misleading information on our platforms. Misinformation about the disease can evolve as rapidly as the headlines in the news and can be hard to distinguish from legitimate reporting. The same piece of misinformation can appear in slightly different forms, such as as an image modified with a few pixels cropped or augmented with a filter. And these variations can be unintentional or the result of someone’s deliberate attempt to avoid detection.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Korona aiheutti Suomessa ryntäyksen etätöihin: Missään muussa EU-maassa ei siirrytty pois työpaikalta yhtä innokkaasti kuin täällä
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11346371?utm_source=facebook-share&utm_medium=social
EU-kansalaisten optimismi ja usko hallituksiin on koetuksella, kertoo Eurofoundin kysely.
Kysymykseen “oletko siirtynyt kotiin työskentelemään covid19-tilanteen vuoksi” suomalaisista 59 prosenttia vastasi kyllä.
Kyllä-vastaajia oli Suomen lisäksi yli 50 prosenttia vain Benelux-maissa.
Pandemia on tullessaan vienyt EU-kansalaisten optimismia. Enää alle 50 prosenttia kyselyyn vastanneista näkee tulevaisuuden valoisana.
Kysely kertoo, että luottamus sekä EU:hun että maiden omiin hallituksiin on vähentynyt.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Twitter employees can work from home forever, CEO says
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/twitter-employees-can-work-home-forever-ceo-says-n1205346
Twitter’s new policy comes as businesses across the nation are struggling to adapt to social distancing guidelines.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How Oil Prices Went Subzero: Explaining the COVID-19 Oil Crash
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/subzero-oil-price-crash-covid-19/
Explaining the Historic COVID-19 Oil Price Crash
The Great Lockdown continues to turn markets on their head.
Last week, we dug into the unprecedented number of initial jobless claims coming out of the United States, which topped 22 million in a period of four weeks.
It’s just days later, and we already have our next market abnormality: this time, traders were baffled by West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude — the U.S. benchmark oil price — which somehow flipped negative for the first time in history.
How is that possible? And how does it tie into the COVID-19 oil price crash in general?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Where COVID-19 is Rising and Falling Around the World
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/where-covid-19-is-rising-and-falling-around-the-world/
It’s been just over two months since New York declared a state of emergency, and global stock markets were hammered as the fears of a full-blown crisis began to take hold.
Since then, we’ve seen detailed, daily coronavirus coverage in most of the major news outlets.
Of course, the global total doesn’t tell the whole story. Different countries, and even regions within countries, are in very different phases of dealing with the pandemic.
Let’s look at the current situation around the world.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Talousnobelisti Bengt Holmström: Taudin pelko tekee koronaviruksesta merkittävän uhan Suomen taloudelle
Holmströmin mukaan yhteiskuntaa voidaan avata testaamisen ja eristämisen avulla.
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11348822
Holmströmin mukaan rajoituksia pitää purkaa niin, että ihmiset voivat taas turvallisesti käydä töissä ja kulkea kaupoissa.
Esimerkiksi julkisilla paikoilla olisi hänen mielestään syytä pitää maskeja ja riittävää etäisyyttä. Myös testaus on tärkeä osa talouden avaamista.
– Testauksen, seurannan ja eristämisen kautta saadaan eläminen turvallisemmaksi ilman rajoituksia, Holmström sanoo.
Taloudessa edettävä epidemian ehdoilla
Holmström kuuluu hallituksen nimittämään talousviisaiden ryhmään, joka pohtii Suomen talouden tulevaisuutta koronakriisin jälkeen.
Työelämäprofessori Vesa Vihriälän johtama työryhmä esittää hallitukselle pakettia, joka sisältää sekä elvytystä että leikkauksia.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S, which controls about one-fifth of the global fleet used to transport goods by sea, has warned that the fallout from Covid-19 will drive volumes down by as much as 25% this quarter
World’s biggest container shipper warns of 25% slump in volumes
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/world-s-biggest-container-shipper-warns-of-25-slump-in-volumes/ar-BB140LSz?fbclid=IwAR256jBurwrYt1f6LyeDLdrU-4yT-zjKispi2fZs4qVsEjovD5nFHbUMz0w
The world’s largest container line is bracing for an historic slump in demand.
A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S, which controls about one-fifth of the global fleet used to transport goods by sea, has warned that the fallout from Covid-19 will drive volumes down by as much as 25% this quarter.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Spanish antibody study points to 5% of population affected by coronavirus
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-spain-study/spanish-antibody-study-points-to-5-of-population-affected-by-coronavirus-idUSKBN22P2RP
Preliminary results from a nationwide coronavirus antibody study show that about 5% of the overall Spanish population has been affected, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday, adding that results varied widely from region to region.
The testing should help the government gauge the true extent of the epidemic, taking into account also those who may be immune or resistant to the infection.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Your Boss Is Watching You: Work-From-Home Boom Leads To More Surveillance
https://www.npr.org/2020/05/13/854014403/your-boss-is-watching-you-work-from-home-boom-leads-to-more-surveillance
After two weeks of working from her Brooklyn apartment, a 25-year-old e-commerce worker received a staffwide email from her company: Employees were to install software called Hubstaff immediately on their personal computers so it could track their mouse movements and keyboard strokes, and record the webpages they visited.
They also had to download an app called TSheets to their phones to keep tabs on their whereabouts during work hours.
“There are five of us. And we always came to work. We always came on time. There was no reason to start location-tracking us,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
No, You Should Not Have or Participate in a Coronavirus Party. Here’s What to Know About Herd Immunity
https://time.com/5825386/herd-immunity-coronavirus-covid-19/
all around the world people have started to suggest that intentional exposure to COVID-19 could actually be beneficial for society at large. Discussions on social media about herd immunity have grown louder, and the Swedish government announced on April 22 that it is weeks away from achieving it in Stockholm. Hundreds of people have volunteered to become infected as part of a controversial approach to speed up development of a vaccine, known as a human-challenge trial.
The U.S. has successfully achieved herd immunity from diseases like chickenpox, mumps, polio and measles, but we’re a long way from getting there with COVID-19, experts tell TIME. In fact, trying to build immunity to the coronavirus through exposure rather than waiting for a vaccine to be developed could have deadly consequences.
Scientists do not yet know for certain whether the human body even develops immunity after an infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease COVID-19. And, if the body does become immune, there’s no evidence that shows how long immunity to the virus might last after recovery. Based on previous research into other coronaviruses (such as those that cause MERS and SARS), experts do believe it is likely that someone infected with COVID-19 will have some level of immunity after recovering from the illness, but the details are still very much unknown. Which is why, they say, it’s a terrible idea to purposefully expose yourself to infection.
“We really can’t depend on herd immunity until we get either enough people infected, or enough people vaccinated,”
That means either a vaccine is developed and the vast majority of people become immune to the virus, or 70-80% of people contract the virus through community spread and develop antibody protection, indirectly protecting the rest of the population that is not yet immune to the virus.
When 70-80% of a given population develops this antibody protection, herd immunity is achieved, indirectly providing protection to those who are not yet immune.
“It’s enough people being immune that over time the number of infections goes down rather than up,”
“There are really only two ways to achieve this level of immunity. One is through development and mass distribution of a vaccine, and the other is through a massive increase in the number of people who get sick.”
In the case of COVID-19, a vaccine is still at least months, and more likely at least a year, awa
Dowdy says researchers think only about 1 to 2% of the U.S. population is currently immune to the virus.
“To get to 70% of the population being immune through natural protection, you’re talking hundreds of thousands of deaths, so not a good idea.”
In the days before there was a vaccine for chickenpox, parents used to hold “pox parties,” intentionally exposing their children to chickenpox in an attempt to build up the child’s immunity to the disease. That sort of worked—though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strongly recommends against hosting such parties, given the risk. And chickenpox is far less deadly than COVID-19 appears to be.
“We’re talking here about a disease that’s probably 100 times more deadly, at least, than chickenpox. I also feel like people are confusing the idea of individual immunity and herd immunity,” Dowdy adds. “If people are thinking of intentionally exposing themselves, they shouldn’t be thinking in terms of herd immunity, they should be thinking in terms of the risk-benefit to themselves…that’s a big risk to take and not one that I think is a wise choice.”
Infectious disease experts don’t yet know how long people can be protected by antibodies after recovering from the disease. There’s also the potential to spread the virus to those who might not be able to recover from it.
“The people you’re going to infect are going to be your friends and family,” Dowdy says. “You’re not just rolling the dice with your own health and life, you are doing the same with those who are closest to you.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kouluissa ei katsota pahalla opettajien ja oppilaiden kasvomaskien käyttöä, mutta sitä ei edelleenkään suositella
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11350006
Opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriön ja THL:n mukaan oppilaiden lähikontaktista huolimatta suojautuminen koulussa ei ole tarpeellista.
Kaupunkien koulutoimenjohtajat kertovat kuin yhdestä suusta, että kouluissa noudatetaan ministeriön ja terveysviranomaisten antamia ohjeita, joiden mukaan oppilaiden lähikontaktista huolimatta kasvomaskien tai hengityssuojaimen käytön ei katsota olevan tarpeellista.
– Työnantajana emme ole ohjeistaneet maskipakkoa. Yleisesti ajattelemme, että varhaiskasvatuksessa ja opetuksessa emme käyttäisi maskeja, mutta jos joku työntekijöistä haluaa käyttää niin sitä ei ole kielletty, kommentoi Espoon opetustoimenjohtaja Kaisu Toivonen.
– Noudatamme opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriön ja THL:n linjausta ja ohjetta eli emme suosittele suojuksia. Jos opettaja tai oppilas haluaa käyttää maskia, hän voi tehdä niin, toteaa Helsingin perusopetusjohtaja Outi Salo.
– Käyttöä ei katsota pahalla
Tomi Engdahl says:
Yle selvitti: Kasvomaskit pakollisia jo yli 50 maassa – määräykset perustuvat tutkimusnäyttöön, mutta Suomessa suositusta ei toistaiseksi tule
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11336804
Suomi tekee tieteellisen selvityksen kasvomaskien käytöstä. Koko kansan suosituksia ei liene luvassa ainakaan ennen kesäkuun loppua.
Tomi Engdahl says:
VTT tutki: Kangasmaski saattaa suojata muita, mutta ei käyttäjää – maskin materiaalilla suuri vaikutus tehoon
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11350430
VTT testasi kangasmaskit. Polyesteri on parempi materiaali kuin puuvilla.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Philosophy, Technology and Morality: A Volatile Combination?
https://www.designnews.com/electronics-test/philosophy-technology-and-morality-volatile-combination/174053488562739?ADTRK=InformaMarkets&elq_mid=13153&elq_cid=876648
In the midst of a global coronavirus pandemic, some worry about the end time and what is to blame — technology or humanity? Dr. Shannon Vallor shares her surprising insights.
Tomi Engdahl says:
What Are Medtech CEOs Saying about COVID-19?
https://www.mddionline.com/what-are-medtech-ceos-saying-about-covid-19?ADTRK=InformaMarkets&elq_mid=13158&elq_cid=876648
Tomi Engdahl says:
Prohibition Makes a Comeback
Pennsylvania shuts down liquor stores. Panic buying ensues.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/prohibition-makes-a-comeback-11586214623
The roaring 1920s and the so far deplorable 2020s already have one misguided policy in common. As state and local officials work to limit the spread of the coronavirus, some have ordered the closure of liquor stores. It’s going as well as history would suggest.
Pennsylvania’s Liquor Control Board announced March 16 that liquor stores would close the next day.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Woman stalked by sandwich server via her COVID-19 contact tracing info
https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2020/05/14/woman-stalked-by-sandwich-server-via-her-covid-19-contact-tracing-info/
Mayo? Mustard? Creep who takes your sandwich order plus the personal details you handed over for contact tracing?
That’s not what I ordered, said a woman in Auckland, New Zealand, whose trip to a Subway fast-food shop led to a restaurant worker reaching out to pester her on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and via text.
Jess told Newshub that Subway required her to put her contact details on a contact-tracing form so as to place her food order. She didn’t think anything about it: we all want to stop the spread of the pandemic, after all. The form asked for her name, home address, email address and phone number, all of which she put down.
Who can blame her? There are good reasons why we should hand out our personally identifying information (PII) as sparingly as possible.
companies and governments should be paying excruciating attention to how to protect privacy as countries and states gradually retreat from lockdown and institute ways to do so safely. At this point, it’s all over the map.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Coronavirus Deaths Hit 300,000 Worldwide—Almost One-Third From The U.S.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2020/05/14/us-makes-up-nearly-a-third-of-300000-coronavirus-deaths-worldwide/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Gordie/#676f7264696
The worldwide count reached 300,000 confirmed coronavirus deaths Thursday afternoon, with the U.S. death toll making up almost a third of the global tally with nearly 85,000 deaths as some states continue lift stay-at-home orders.
According to a Johns Hopkins University tally, the U.S. had counted for nearly 85,000 of those deaths, and more than 1.4 million cases, the leading nation by far in terms of confirmed coronavirus deaths and positive tests.
New York City is the most affected area in the country and is the global center of the pandemic, with almost more than 15,000 confirmed deaths and a further 5,057 probable deaths that were likely caused by the virus in the five boroughs alone.
Following the U.S. in the highest death total is the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and then France, but Brazil is quickly catching up as Latin America looks to be the next hot spot for viral outbreaks.
Worldwide, more than 4.4 million people have tested positive for coronavirus as of Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins University. However, experts believe the true number of infections, along with the death toll, is likely much higher. On Wednesday, officials with the World Health Organization said that even if a coronavirus vaccine is developed—which could be a year away, at best—the virus may still not be eliminated completely and could continue to circulate within communities. Many experts are expecting a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic to hit, possibly in autumn.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Quarter of Covid-19 deaths in English hospitals were of diabetics
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/14/one-in-four-people-who-died-in-uk-hospitals-with-covid-19-had-diabetes
NHS’s first breakdown of underlying health conditions also finds 18% had dementia
Of the 22,332 people who died in hospital in England between 31 March and 12 May, 5,873 (26%) suffered from either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, NHS England figures reveal.
That was the most common illness found in an analysis of what existing conditions patients had. The other commonest comorbidities were dementia (18%), serious breathing problems (15%) and chronic kidney disease (14%). One in ten (10%) suffered from ischaemic heart disease.
“It is clear that people with diabetes are more at risk of dying from Covid-19,”
The NHS has tried to reduce the extra risk faced by diabetics from Covid-19 by helping them to manage their condition by providing online services, video consultations with specialists and a dedicated helpline, Kar said.
“The fact that more than a quarter of people who have died with Covid-19 have diabetes underlines the urgent need to ensure better protection and extra support is available to those in the clinically vulnerable groups,” said Bridget Turner, director of policy at the charity Diabetes UK.
More research is needed to understand why diabetes heightens the risk of death from Covid, she said. “But until we know more, people living with diabetes should be supported to manage their condition, attend appointments as normal either online or in person at Covid-protected sites and, most importantly, should continue to have access to their local clinical team if they have concerns,” she said.
Alzheimer’s Research UK said it was “shocking” that 4,048 of the people who have died – almost one in five of the total – had dementia and that this would increase fear. However, it is known that 88% of deaths have been among over-65s and death rates are highest among those over 80.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kansainvälinen tutkijaryhmä suosittaa kasvomaskin käyttöä 80 prosentille väestöstä – epidemian 50. päivän peli on menetetty
https://www.iltalehti.fi/koronavirus/a/2e58646b-cd84-4f74-806f-0219e8f3a19c
Kansainvälisen tutkimusryhmän mukaan jopa 80–90 prosentin pitäisi käyttää kasvomaskia julkisilla paikoilla riittävän suojan takaamiseksi.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Public advised to wear face coverings under UK government’s lockdown easing plan
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/11/public-advised-wear-face-masks-coronavirus-lockdown-easing-plan-for-england
Government publishes 60-page document detailing ‘smarter controls’ to limit Covid-19 spread
The public will be advised to wear face coverings in crowded places and wash their clothes regularly, as the government imposes “smarter controls” to limit the spread the coronavirus until a successful treatment or vaccine is found.
After Boris Johnson’s address to the nation on Sunday, which prompted a backlash from unions and opposition politicians about the lack of a clear message, the government published a 60-page document called Our Plan to Rebuild
More outdoor activities are being allowed from this week but the public will be expected to take extra caution, including by wearing face coverings in some situations.
People should “wear a face covering in enclosed spaces where social distancing is not always possible and they come into contact with others that they do not normally meet, for example on public transport or in some shops”, the government document says. Children under the age of two should not have their faces covered, and nor should any of primary age who do not have somebody with them who is supervising them.
This is aimed at preventing people who have the virus but are not experiencing symptoms from passing it on to others.
The chief medical officer for England, Prof Chris Whitty, stressed that face coverings were “not a substitute” for physical distancing and urged the public not to buy surgical or medical masks, needed for frontline carers, but to rely on scarves or DIY-type masks instead.
The public should wash their clothes regularly, the advice suggests, “as there is some evidence that the virus can stay on fabrics”.
The government is increasing fines for people who breach the new guidance, with the new penalties ranging from £100 for a first offence to a maximum of £3,200.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Q&A
Coronavirus: should everyone be wearing face masks?
Hide
The World Health Organization (WHO) guidance on face masks has remained consistent during the coronavirus pandemic. It has stuck to the line that masks are for healthcare workers – not the public.
“Wearing a medical mask is one of the prevention measures that can limit the spread of certain respiratory viral diseases, including Covid-19. However, the use of a mask alone is insufficient to provide an adequate level of protection, and other measures should also be adopted,” the WHO has stated.
Nevertheless, as some countries have eased lockdown conditions, they have been making it mandatory to wear face coverings outside, as a way of trying to inhibit spread of the virus. This is in the belief that the face covering will prevent people who cough and sneeze ejecting the virus any great distance.
There is no robust scientific evidence – in the form of trials – that ordinary masks block the virus from infecting people who wear them.
Also underlying the WHO’s concerns is the shortage of high-quality protective masks for frontline healthcare workers.
Nevertheless, masks do have a role when used by people who are already infected.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/11/public-advised-wear-face-masks-coronavirus-lockdown-easing-plan-for-england
Advice on the use of masks in the context of COVID-19
Interim guidance
6 April 2020
https://www.who.int/publications-detail/advice-on-the-use-of-masks-in-the-community-during-home-care-and-in-healthcare-settings-in-the-context-of-the-novel-coronavirus-(2019-ncov)-outbreak
This document provides advice on the use of masks in communities, during home care, and in health care settings in areas that have reported cases of COVID-19. It is intended for individuals in the community, public health and infection prevention and control (IPC) professionals, health care managers, health care workers (HCWs), and community health workers. This updated version includes a section on Advice to decision makers on the use of masks for healthy people in community settings.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nyt tuli kovia lukuja asuntokaupasta – Näin kovaa koronavirus löi markkinaa
https://www.kauppalehti.fi/uutiset/nyt-tuli-kovia-lukuja-asuntokaupasta-nain-kovaa-koronavirus-loi-markkinaa/1b320e5e-80e6-46b4-a91a-8d9806fc83c2?ref=facebook%3A7ed0
Tomi Engdahl says:
Uusi tutkimus: Puhe voi levittää koronaa välittäviä pisaroita ilmaan minuuttikausiksi – kova kailottaminen pahinta https://www.is.fi/ulkomaat/art-2000006507066.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Coronavirus: Baltic states open a pandemic ‘travel bubble’
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52673373
The Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have opened their borders to one another, creating a coronavirus “travel bubble”.
From midnight on Thursday, citizens and residents can move freely between the three EU nations.
Anybody arriving from outside the zone however must self-isolate for 14 days.
This is the first “travel bubble” in Europe since nations began shutting their borders earlier this year in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
European Union officials are now trying to encourage other countries to end restrictions on movement as concerns grow about the economic impact of the lockdown. The Baltic states are the three poorest nations in the eurozone, and expect their economies to shrink by up to 8% this year.
We will have summer tourist season, promises EU
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52644816?xtor=AL-72-%5Bsocial%5D-%5Bfacebook%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Beditorial%5D-%5Bisapi%5D
A gradual lifting of borders has been proposed by the EU’s executive in an attempt to kick-start a tourist industry hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Our message is we will have a tourist season this summer,” said economic affairs commissioner Paolo Gentiloni, “even if it’s with security measures and limitations.”
Borders closed across the EU, including the border-free Schengen zone.
But states are starting to reopen them.
Austria and Germany have become the latest EU countries to agree to remove travel restrictions.
From Friday there will be random checks at border crossings and then on 15 June free movement should resume. “We want to make people’s everyday lives easier and take another step towards more normality,” said Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.
UK travellers have already been warned not to expect “lavish” international holidays, with plans for a 14-day quarantine on air arrivals. But travel without quarantine will be possible to France.
The scale of the crisis was illustrated by travel giant Tui announcing the loss of up to 8,000 jobs worldwide with plans to cut costs by 30%.
The European Commission said its guidance was based on the principles of safety and non-discrimination. Tourism provided almost 10% of Europe’s economic output and millions of jobs across the 27 member states relied on it.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Foxconn’s profits plunged nearly 90%, due to COVID-19 shutdown
https://tcrn.ch/2XdiaCf
As earnings season winds down, we’re getting a solid picture on just how profoundly the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted corporations’ bottomline. Taiwan-based manufacturing giant Foxconn is among those companies that were utterly walloped over the previous quarter. Plant shutdowns — particularly in China — lead to a 90% year-over-year drop in profits for the quarter.
Apple, one of Foxconn’s key clients, is believed to bedelaying the release of its next flagship, over issues of consumer demand and supply chain shortages.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.dna.fi/blogi/-/blogs/korona-muutti-tyontekoa-eika-paluuta-ole-nain-dna-lla-arvioidaan-muutosten-nakyvan
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://techcrunch.com/2020/05/15/sorrento-finds-a-coronavirus-antibody-that-blocks-viral-infection-100-in-preclinical-lab-experiments/?tpcc=ECFB2020
Therapeutics company Sorrento has made what it believes cold be a breakthrough in potential treatment of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that leads to COVID-19. The company released details its preclinical research on Friday, announcing that it has found an antibody that provides “100% inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection of healthy cells after four days incubation.” These results are from a preclinical study that still has to undergo peer review, and in an in vitro laboratory study (meaning not in an actual human being) but still a promising development as the company continues to work on production of an antibody “cocktail” that could provide protection against SARS-CoV-2 even in case of mutations in the virus.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Toinen korona-aalto Suomessa ei ole mikään varmuus, sanovat asiantuntijat – epidemialla on ainakin kolme vaihtoehtoista polkua eteenpäin
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11353441
Virusopin professorin mielestä toisesta korona-aallosta on puhuttu varmana asiana, vaikka se ei sitä ole.
Tässä Minnesotan yliopiston artikkelissa(siirryt toiseen palveluun) puolestaan kuvataan kolme vaihtoehtoista polkua:
Matalia huippuja ja laaksoja. Ensimmäistä pandemia-aaltoa seuraa tulevien vuosien aikana useita pienempiä aaltoja. Rajoituksia saatetaan joutua lieventämään ja kiristämään useaan otteeseen.
Voimakas syksyinen aalto. Ensimmäistä pandemia-aaltoa seuraa huomattavasti voimakkaampi aalto. Rajoituksia joudutaan ottamaan käyttöön uudelleen syksyllä. Muun muassa vuosien 1918–1919 tuhoisa influenssapandemia noudatti tämänkaltaista muotoa.
Kyteminen. Koronavirus jatkaa leviämistä ensimmäisen pandemia-aallon jälkeen ilman selkeää aaltoa. Ihmisiä sairastuu ja kuolee, mutta uusiin rajoituksiin ei välttämättä tarvitse turvautua.
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/sites/default/files/public/downloads/cidrap-covid19-viewpoint-part1_0.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3Don6yAbieo670OYenZHIygLLmdQfsi5FGuJ3r5E9a-kx_uIhXkEkOdXs
Tomi Engdahl says:
Covid 19 – Epidemic ‘Waves’
https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/covid-19-epidemic-waves/
One recurring theme of the COVID coverage is the fear (or the firm prediction) of second or third waves of the disease. We must “prepare for the second wave of COVID.” The UK Prime Minister, speaking outside Downing Street on Monday morning, urged the UK people to continue adhering to the “tough measures” to avoid a “second spike” of COVID-19.
The second or third waves are often portrayed as very likely, inevitable or probable by modelling studies.
We reviewed the evidence (Search strategy at the end) underpinning second-wave theory
History is littered with references to respiratory virus pandemics or serious epidemics. However, we only used those episodes for which reasonable contemporary accounts exist.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kidney injury seen in more than a third of hospitalized COVID-19 patients: U.S. study
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-kidney/kidney-injury-seen-in-more-than-a-third-of-hospitalized-covid-19-patients-u-s-study-idUSKBN22Q0U7
Over a third of patients treated for COVID-19 in a large New York medical system developed acute kidney injury, and nearly 15% required dialysis, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.
“We found in the first 5,449 patients admitted, 36.6% developed acute kidney injury,”
Acute kidney injury occurs when the kidneys fail and become unable to filter out waste.
Of those patients with kidney failure, 14.3% required dialysis
The study is the largest to date to look at kidney injury in COVID-19 patients. It may be helpful, Jhaveri said, as other hospitals face new waves of patients with the disease caused by the novel coronavirus that has infected more than 4.3 million people and killed over 295,000 globally.
Several groups have noted increased rates of kidney failure among patients with COVID-19.
In many cases, the kidney failure occurred around the time severely ill patients needed to be placed on a ventilator, Jhaveri said.
Among the more than 1,000 patients who needed to be placed on a ventilator, about 90% developed acute kidney failure. That compared with 21.7% of the 925 patients who developed the condition but did not need mechanical breathing assistance.
“It’s not specific to COVID-19. It’s more related to how sick you are,” he said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
CORONAVIRUSBizarre EU Funded Comic Book Predicted Pandemic, With Globalists As Saviours
Eerie 2012 document painted eurocrats as saving the planet from a killer virus and draconian lockdowns.
https://summit.news/2020/05/15/bizarre-eu-funded-comic-book-predicted-pandemic-with-globalists-as-saviours/
A strange comic book that was commissioned for publication by the European Union in 2012 eerily predicted almost exactly what has unfolded with the Covid-19 global pandemic. However, in this propaganda laced presentation of the outbreak, unelected globalist bureaucrats save the planet.
The comic book, titled ‘Infected’, was a production of the European Commission’s international cooperation and development arm. It was not intended for widespread public consumption, but instead to be distributed inside EU institutions. Only a few hundred of the comic books were made.
The EU’s description of the strange publication states that “While the story may be fictional, it is nevertheless intertwined with some factual information.”
The graphic novel depicts scientists inside a lab in China experimenting with deadly pathogens
The publication suggests that air travel would exacerbate the spread of the disease, with the character adding that “You’d have headed back to Europe, the US, Latin America, or Australia as planned via an international airport.”
The cartoon depicts the failure of a global health organisation to act quickly enough to stop a pandemic
It also predicts draconian safety measures, including social distancing, which make everyday life “totally unbearable
Was this predictive programming or just a bizarre coincidence?
https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/4cc2ea93-d003-417e-9294-1103a6ee877d
Tomi Engdahl says:
SOME ARE WINNING – SOME ARE NOT
WHICH COUNTRIES DO BEST IN BEATING COVID-19?
https://www.endcoronavirus.org/countries
Plots show daily new cases of COVID-19 vs time, with a 10-day average.
”Recent new/day” is a measure of new cases per day, averaged over the last week.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Koira haistaa koronaviruksen nopeasti ja ällistyttävän tarkasti – voi mullistaa testaamisen
https://www.iltalehti.fi/terveysuutiset/a/38f6eaf8-4ba3-47f6-9bfc-8624ddd3d62a
Professori: ”Tämä kuulosti heti mahtavalta idealta”. Koirat saattavat haistaa koronavirustartunnan nopeasti ja yltää paljon luotettavampiin tuloksiin kuin laboratoriokokeet.
Suomessa on saatu erittäin lupaavia alustavia tuloksia siitä, että koulutetut koirat voivat haistaa koronatartunnan.
Koirien kouluttaminen tähän tehtävään vie viikkoja.
Koronakoiria voitaisiin käyttää esimerkiksi lentokentillä ja vanhainkodeissa.
Koulutetut koirat ovat alustavissa tutkimuksissa onnistuneet erottamaan terveiden ja koronainfektioon sairastuneiden virtsanäytteet. Koirat ovat haistaneet pissanäytteistä äärimmäisen vähäisiä pitoisuuksia.
Helsingin yliopiston eläinlääketieteellisen ja lääketieteellisen tiedekunnan tutkijat ovat yhdistäneet voimansa COVID-19-tartunnan saaneiden tunnistamiseksi hajuerottelulla.
– Olin taas niin positiivisesti yllättynyt siitä, miten nopeasti koiramme omaksuivat uuden hajun, sanoo tutkimuksen ja DogRisk -ryhmän johtaja Anna Hielm-Björkman.
Tutkijat aloittavat Helsingin yliopiston tiedotteen mukaan laajan potilasnäytteiden keräämisen varmistaakseen havainnon ja jatkaakseen koulutusta.
Kössi ja Lucky ovat aiemmin ansioituneita syövän haistamisessa.
– Nämä koirat oppivat tunnistamaan koronatartunnan yhdessä päivässä! Haju ei tuntunut olevan niille vaikea tunnistettava.
– Tällä hetkellä ongelma on vielä se, että emme tiedä, mikä on se haju, jonka ne sieltä COVID-19-tartunnan saaneelta potilaalta poimivat.
Todennäköisesti koira haistaa potilaan pissasta jonkin aineenvaihdunnan lopputuotteen, joka on syntynyt elimistössä koronaviruksen aiheuttaman tulehdusmyrskyn vuoksi.
Koira haistaa paljon, paljon pienempiä pitoisuuksia kuin laite.
Tomi Engdahl says:
At Least for a While, It Pays Better to Be Unemployed
https://www.thestreet.com/mishtalk/economics/at-least-for-a-while-it-pays-better-to-be-unemployed
In many states workers can do better collecting unemployment than being employed.
Please consider the Coronavirus Unemployment Calculator to determine when and where it’s better not to work.
“Massachusetts generous unemployment policies combined with the stimulus means all workers making under $73,996 would receive more a week unemployed than they do from working.
Many of these salaries outstrip the state’s median income, meaning the majority of workers would receive more from an unemployment check than a paycheck.”
This is ridiculous of course. The next stimulus measure needs to cap the benefit at some percentage below what people were making.