Looks like worldwide infection rates are dropping

[Leongsam]

If testing is not a worldwide bottleneck then this trend shows the world is on the mend.

 

[Leongsam]

Death toll is still way below that of influenza which killed 80,000 in the USA alone in the 2017/18 season.

 

[Leongsam]

Hopefully by the middle of next week we can all heave a sigh of relief. Have a great Easter everyone.

 

[zhihau]

View attachment 75316

If testing is not a worldwide bottleneck then this trend shows the world is on the mend.

There are only so many technicians around to run those tests, faulty kits notwithstanding.

 

[Leongsam]

There are only so many technicians around to run those tests, faulty kits notwithstanding.

That's why I added that qualifier.

The shortage seems to be the swabs not the test kits. If you can't extract a good sample the test kits are useless.

 

[laksaboy]

Don't worry, get ready for round two, second wave. Not unlike the Spanish Flu a century ago.

The African FTs in Guangzhou are falling ill now. One district under lockdown.

 

[Leongsam]

Don't worry, get ready for round two, second wave. Not unlike the Spanish Flu a century ago.

The African FTs in Guangzhou are falling ill now. One district under lockdown.

Hopefully by the time the 2nd wave starts to build up there is enough data to prove conclusively that it has a mortality rate no greater than that of the flu so life can carry on despite the infections.

The H1N1 2009 pandemic was estimated to have killed 284,000 worldwide but life continued in the usual manner for most of us.

 

[zhihau]

That's why I added that qualifier.

The shortage seems to be the swabs not the test kits. If you can't extract a good sample the test kits are useless.

Hear that the kits from A*Star are working well. Kudos to them. Extending an olive branch to Philip, something fruitful came out from this COVID situation.

But we still need more urban farming here in Singapore. Roof Top Agriculture coupled with Aquaculture is the next step forward.

 

[spotter542]

Calm before the storm

 

[Thick Face Black Heart]

Again, I must emphasize -- for a graph using a log scale, we must demand more flattening before we can say that the trend is turning.

All that I see in the graph is that it is still going up but with gentler gradient. On a log scale, it may simply mean the numbers are still growing exponentially, but the constant of proportionality is smaller than before.

 

[Leongsam]

Again, I must emphasize -- for a graph using a log scale, we must demand more flattening before we can say that the trend is turning.

All that I see in the graph is that it is still going up but with gentler gradient. On a log scale, it may simply mean the numbers are still growing exponentially, but the constant of proportionality is smaller than before.

When you add 1000 new cases to a base of 1000 that's serious. When you have 100,000 active cases an additional 1500 is nothing. That's what the log scale is for.

Of course the ideal is zero new cases and the log scale shows the rate at which we are trending towards this goal.

 

[syed putra]

Muslims got a remedy a long time before the virus swept.

Turkey’s unique hand-sanitising method



For hundreds of years, this Ottoman-era cologne has been synonymous with Turkish hospitality. Now, it’s being used to fight coronavirus.

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• By Jenna Scatena

8 April 2020
As commercial hand sanitisers run dry in the US and Europe, people in Turkey are turning to a traditional, aromatic fragrance that has taken on a whole new relevance amid the coronavirus pandemic: kolonya.
Meaning “cologne”, kolonya has been a treasured symbol of Turkish hospitality and health since the Ottoman Empire, and it’s often described as Turkey’s national scent. Traditionally, this sweet-scented aroma made with fig blossoms, jasmine, rose or citrus ingredients is sprinkled on guests’ hands as they enter homes, hotels and hospitals; when they finish meals at restaurants; or as they gather for religious services. But unlike other natural scents, this ethanol-based concoction’s high alcohol content can kill more than 80% of germs and act as an effective hand disinfectant.

Sales of kolonya, Turkey's "national scent", have soared since the start of the coronavirus pandemic because it is also an antiseptic (Credit: tamayalper/Getty Images)

So, when Turkey’s Minister of Health championed kolonya’s capacity to fight the coronavirus on 11 March, it not only inspired a wave of national media attention touting the cologne’s anti-Covid-19 powers, but also caused queues stretching nearly 100m to quickly form at chemists and stores across Turkey. In fact, since Turkey’s first confirmed coronavirus case in mid-March, some of the nation’s main kolonya producers have said that their sales have increased by at least fivefold.

Since Turkey’s first confirmed coronavirus case in mid-March, kolonya sales have increased by at least fivefold

“Kolonya is effective at protecting against coronavirus because when it contains at least 60% alcohol, it breaks down the virus’ hard shell,” said Dr Hatira Topaklı, a family physician in Istanbul who explained that most kolonya products contain 80% alcohol. Topaklı also notes that commercial disinfectants aren’t as common in Turkey as they are in other countries. “[Kolonya is] additionally effective because it’s something that many people already have and is a part of their daily routines. They don’t need to learn a new way to protect themselves against this virus.”