CoronavirusCovid-19Facts

31/10/2020

27/10/2020

The philanthropist, who has long warned of the need to prepare for pandemics, is dumbfounded by the U.S. response so far.

05/06/2020

Finally the UK government have said we must wear face masks on public transport. These will be anything except surgical masks and will be called face coverings. Has there be some new scientific evidence that has informed this change in policy? It seems that again and again the UK thinks we know better than the rest of world then finally realise we don’t!

18/04/2020

More disappointing and muddled research leading to government confusion and stalling on facemasks has been released. And again the 'shortages' argument is made (when we are not talking about medical masks).

The University of East Anglia has done a review of research and concudes that "The evidence is not sufficiently strong to support widespread use of facemasks as a protective measure against COVID-19. However, there is enough evidence to support the use of facemasks for short periods of time by particularly vulnerable individuals when in transient higher risk situations." https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.01.20049528v1

Again these findings are parroted by the media (see the Independent) with no thought or analysis. We have to respond:

1. The main use of facemasks by the public is reduce the spread of the disease NOT to protect the individual. That an research institution should chose to ignore this and not highlight the difference is disingenuous.

2. If there is evidence to support the use of facemasks by vulnerable individuals, how can there NOT be evidence to support the use by others - we can spread the disease to those who are vulnerable!

It is quite clear now that face 'coverings' (not surgical masks) MAY be helpful and there are NO risks. (I have have found no research that's shows any risks from moisture etc. etc. If virus was to collect on the surface of a mask then its very likely the user would have inhaled it anyway. And again the reason for face coverings is to stop/reduce virus leaving the wearer not the other way around).
The masks (face coverings) for the public should be deployed for protection of others, now.

Please share this and email your MP!

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/coronavirus-face-masks-uk-shortages-nhs-workers-matt-hancock-a9460011.html

Decision to wear a mask is not 'risk-free', Matt Hancock says

06/04/2020

Really interesting data from Australia..

Is Australia flattening the curve? We bring together all the Covid-19 confirmed cases, data, charts and stats from NSW, Victoria, Queensland, SA, WA, Tasmania, ACT and NT to get a broad picture of the Australian outbreak and track the impact of government response

01/04/2020

I have had a response from our MP Nus Ghani who said "thank you for sharing your suggestions with me, I will ensure that they are passed on to my colleagues in the Government, in the relevant Departments. I will be in touch again if I have any updates regarding your suggestions"

Here is my last letter:

Dear Nus

Thank you for your reply. The current thinking in the UK is out of step with how many countries are reducing the spread of the virus.

Contrary to 'expert' opinion in the UK there IS evidence that masks will probably work for the general public. Combined with circumstantial evidence from countries such as Korea, this is a powerful reason to challenge the 'experts' and ask the question: where is the evidence that facemasks for the public will not work?

Admittedly the WHO is still taking a cautious line. I believe this is largely to do with shortage of PPE supplies rather than any evidence as to the ineffectiveness of a physical barrier to the face.

Sooner or later normal life has to resume, and at that point protection for eyes, nose and mouth will be essential. I urge you to look at this issue seriously and pursue this until a satisfactory explanation can be found to the difference in the UK's approach. The best way to protect the NHS is to reduce infection rates.

Please see some research below.

Best regards
Chris

Unmasking the Confusion of Respiratory Protection to Prevent Influenza-Like Illness in Crowded Community Settings
"The effect of the mask, however, may also be to reduce direct inoculation of virus via hand-to-mouth and nose."
https://academic.oup.com/jid/article/201/4/491/861190

01/04/2020

At last the tide is turning on facemasks. The appalling resistance of governments is being overturned by the evidence (both research and circumstantial) and common sense.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/31/calls-grow-for-germany-wide-use-of-face-masks-covid-19

Regional officials urge federal government to make usage mandatory to counter Covid-19

31/03/2020

31/03/2020

31/03/2020

FACT: Face masks help slow transmission between members of the public

FACT: Countries who are most successfully dealing with coronavirus use facemasks. "One of the reasons Korea has a relatively low rate of infection is that people are wearing masks and washing their hands" Professor Kim Woo-joo from Korea University G**o Hospital

FACT: The medical profession of countries like South Korea are mystified by the unwillingness of Western countries to take measures like facemasks for the public seriously. After all what better way to protect health professionals than by reducing the number of infected people?

BOGUS FACT: "If we all wear masks we will stop the health services getting them." Really? The government could easily buy up all supplies required. Do you really think you are competing with HM Govt by ordering a few on Amazon?

QUESTION: If UK industry can make thousands of highly complex ventilator machines why can't we make facemasks and eye protection to keep EVERYONE safe? Even schools like Tonbridge are making visors in a cottage industry - helpful but shouldn't be necessary.

OBSERVATION: If we have no manufacturing industry we leave ourselves very vulnerable in times of crisis. HM Govt take note for the future!

I have now been shouting, pleading, tweeting about this issue for weeks. But please, if you want to be able to go shopping again email your MP, share this, tweet it!

We want to thank Professor Kim Woo-joo from Korea University G**o Hospital for taking his valuable time to inform our subscribers. He just started his offici...

28/03/2020

PLEASE SHARE THIS. Schools, universities or anyone with basic manufacturing could be doing this now to help protect Covid-19 testers. This is essential if we are to increase testing. If you can help please check out the site and contact Tonbridge school via the contact page if you have any questions.

MAKE MORE MASKS - FREE HOW TO With shortages of protective equipment, these masks can be made by anyone. However, as “roll in – roll out” test facilities are starting to be created, quite often at schools, we felt it would be useful to provide the instructions on how a school DT department, us...

25/03/2020

We hear that the manufacture of hand sanitiser is being ramped up at last. But what about face masks? If the government wants people to continue working (if they cannot work at home) how do they protect themselves and each other on the underground?

"If you are not a medical professional, the best way to avoid getting sick isn't using a mask (new or reused), but staying at home. If you must go out, homemade cloth masks are an imperfect but better-than-nothing option, as Live Science has reported."

https://www.livescience.com/sanitizing-medical-masks-for-reuse-coronavirus.html

25/03/2020

More on Vitamin C:

"Researchers at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University launched a clinical trial with 140 patients in February to test whether ultrahigh doses of vitamin C, delivered intravenously, could treat the viral infection more effectively than a placebo...

The trial will be completed in September, and no results are yet available, according to ClinicalTrials.gov. In the meantime, Chinese scientists have launched dozens of other clinical trials as well, testing everything from antivirals to antibody therapies to traditional Chinese medicines."

https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-vitamin-c-myth.html

It poses little risk but is very unlikely to help.

25/03/2020

Evidence on Vitamin C. This is interesting:
https://www.cebm.net/oxford-covid-19/covid-19-registered-trials-and-analysis/

If you search for Vitamin C you will see that 'no evidence' has been crossed out!

COVID-19 trials registered up to 8 March 2020—an analysis of 382 studies Jeff Aronson, Robin Ferner, Nicholas DeVito, Carl Heneghan

25/03/2020

FACT CHECK.This has been in the news https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8149191/New-York-hospitals-treating-corona-patients-6000-milligrams-VITAMIN-C.html

We all want good news, but is there any evidence?
https://www.tga.gov.au/alert/no-evidence-support-intravenous-high-dose-vitamin-c-management-covid-19

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/03/24/coronavirus-fact-check-could-vitamin-c-cure-covid-19/2904303001/

Saying there is no evidence does not mean that the technique does not work, nor that it should not be tried on patients as long as any harm from high doses is properly assessed. We could be waiting a long time for proper studies on this, so in the meantime, although this is unlikely to be a magic bullet, high doses of Vitamin C should be seriously considered as part of a treatment plan.

Dr Andrew Weber with Northwell Health said the regimen is based on experimental treatments that were administered in China. Patients get up to 1,500 milligrams up to four times a day.

25/03/2020

COVID Symptom tracker lets anyone healthy or with symptoms share valuable information with researchers and the NHS. Just take 1-minute to self-report daily, even if you are well, to help identify (a) How fast the virus is spreading in your area (b) High-risk areas (c) Who is most at risk, by better....

23/03/2020

One of best summaries of the current position and it’s from the BBC. Who would have thought?! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-51235105

Key charts explaining how the respiratory virus has spread and how it is being dealt with.

20/03/2020

This is an excellent video from Hong Kong on face masks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iEJUvvj4rI

Subscribe to France 24 now: https://f24.my/YouTubeEN FRANCE 24 live news stream: all the latest news 24/7 https://f24.my/YTliveEN ... From expensive filtrati...

20/03/2020

Is it that we British are simply too embarrassed to wear face masks?

In any good horror movie there a simple answer to killing the monsters and saving humanity. That's Janina Faye there, by the way, in the 1962 movie The Dayof...

20/03/2020

How China advises on face masks:

http://en.nhc.gov.cn/2020-02/07/c_76344.htm

20/03/2020

"The people in these countries are very ready to take measures that keep themselves and each other safer. Hand sanitisers are commonplace. Social distancing is normal. In Hong Kong, more than three-quarters of people wear face masks when out in public. It is doubtless true, as British experts say, that these have very little effect in keeping the wearer safe. But in these countries, the majority opinion is that masks reduce the risk of the wearer infecting others." JAMES BARTHOLOMEW

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/03/20/singapore-shows-limit-coronavirus-without-resorting-draconian/

We all would like to find a good way to get through this coronavirus crisis.

20/03/2020

How successful are different counties at tacking 19

18/03/2020

18/03/2020

Please make sure you share and follow. There is much more important content coming soon.

18/03/2020

The warnings from China and Italy were loud and clear. But politicians and their advisers wasted valuable time – and lives will be lost as a result, says Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet

18/03/2020

What should you be cleaning? Also, I am not quite sure what cleaners work (if soap is best for hands, is it best for surfaces?)

"The surfaces identified as most contaminated were the refrigerator, drawer handles and sink faucets in the break room, along with pushbar on the main exit of the building, and the soap dispensers in the women's restroom."



https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30655228

More info here:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/cleaning-disinfection.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fcommunity%2Fhome%2Fcleaning-disinfection.html

Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2019 Apr;222(3):479-485. doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2019.01.001. Epub 2019 Jan 15. Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

18/03/2020

The governments of the world have so far failed to stop the spread of -19. And after a very inadequate early response to the have now swung into lock-down mode. In the UK the advice includes:

-avoid social activities, such as going to pubs, restaurants, theatres and cinemas
-do not have visitors to your home, including friends and family

Travel companies, airlines etc. are already at a standstill. So how long can the economies of the world survive this before going into meltdown?

This page aims to explore the facts and evidence behind the current advice and strategies being employed. Once these policies become unworkable (they have to at some point) there will have to be a more reasoned, evidence based actions.

Please feel free to submit posts and comments - with reference to credible sources of information!

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/