COVID 19 UPDATES
The following comment inspired the blogmaster to expand the focus on data collection and discussion about the COVID 19 pandemic. Thanks to @Lyall@Amit
Blogmaster
David; re. your 4:41 am post;
You are correct but I have indeed considered that cohort of the population.
The reason that the US experts are beating the drum for testing, testing and more testing is to get a handle on what proportion of the general public has been compromised by the virus in any way and has left its signatures in body fluids including blood in the population. The virus is shed from the infected body as the disease is brought under control. When it is controlled it has been found that it takes around 7 days for all particles to be shed from the body. Infected persons are released back into the community when they test negative twice over a period of 2 days.
Barbados, like all of our island neighbours, did or does not have access to large numbers of tests and had to use what we had very sparingly. Thus, the only measure that we had for gauging the incidence of the virus in the population (and a very imperfect one, at that) might be by comparing the evidence of infection levels hinted at by a comparison of the graphs of the progress of the various Covid-19 outbreaks in our Islands.
Most of the world was in the same position as the Caribbean and used the data obtained by the minimal testing of infected people and their contacts and their contacts to produce the graphs we see on such sites as WHO and Worldometer etc. All these graphs give an imperfect picture and significant underestimation of infection levels in the county or country in which the tests are carried out, but, since they are carried out in the same way in each country they might provide some rationale for guesstimating the comparative levels of the infection in various groups of countries.
The data shows that, starting out at essentially the same levels, there was some divergence in relation to the rate of infection and therefore progress of the various outbreaks in various countries. The graphs for Barbados showed low and declining levels of infection from the beginning, peaking at the level of 13 positive cases per day and thereafter showing a slowly declining trend. The individuals who would have contributed to the declining trend would have been primarily from the contact testing but should also have included other individuals referred by Health professionals or who presented themselves to Government institutions because of concern that their symptoms might point to untimely death due to the dread Covid-19.
Amit, in an earlier post on this blog, reported on his initiative of graphing Covid-19 incidence over weekly periods throughout the epidemic, in several Caribbean Islands. If David thinks it is appropriate and Amit agrees I can post a subset of graphs clipped from his data for 6 Caribbean territories which I think could illustrate some of what I have presented above.

There was 1 more positive case announced today as well as 1 death. A slight uptick of the daily cases line is indicated in the graph by the blue line. The total cumulative number of positive cases from the tests carried out yesterday is 76 – Llyall Small

Attached is the updated C-19 graph for 2020-04-23. There were no additional positive cases from yesterday’s tests and therefore cumulative positive cases remain at 76 – Lyall Small

Two new positive cases were identified from yesterday’s tests. There are now 5 cases of contacts with a previously identified individual. The 5 cases are workers from a Government Institution. Tests are ongoing today (25 April 2020) – Lyall Small

Updated graph for 26 April 2020. No new +ve cases were found. Cumulative count is still 79 – Lyall Small

There was one additional +ve case identified today (27 April 2020) from the last tranche of NAB workers moving the cumulative total cases to 80. The graph is still essentially trending downwards – Lyallsmall

Graphing Covid-19 incidence in several Caribbean Islands – Source data: caribbeansignal.com
@CA
I asked for a reputable source to support what you wrote and you provided a website, now I like my information in small digestible bites and if you managed to slog through all the info I say good for you but the first thing I looked at was the “Disclaimer page” and I saw the following;
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Quote
COVID-19 is a serious disease whose outcome depends on numerous factors including pre-existing conditions and timing of treatment. No guarantees can be made that users who choose with their physicians to employ recommendations on this site will experience benefit or not suffer adverse effects. The science of this illness is constantly changing and the coronavirus is mutating with unknown effects on treatment recommendations. Patients can have unique comorbidities, sensitivities or individual reactions to treatments. Patients assume the risks of treatment choices. Unquote
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There are a few more similar to the above but that told me all I need to know
Next you posted a video about the helpful affects of vitamin D, note I never disputed the positive affects of vitamin D, however you wrote the following:
“‘Follow the Science’. The beach is the safest place to be. They should be encouraging people to go to beach, get sun and play games. Between the wind, clean air, uv rays, high humidity and extremely high salt content in the air, the beach is an extremely hostile environment for the virus, much more so than locked up in your house”
+++++
Did you mean to say Vitamin D is beneficial? If so, why does one need to go to the beach to absorb vitamin D or the other elements? Can’t I get the same working in my garden; washing my car or sitting in my backyard? Aren’t there inherent risks in mingling with people playing games on the beach?
Looka, I was watching an Attenborough offering and interrupted it to write this response, yuh lucky that I can recall it later.
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The COVID-19 Update and Press Conference which was rescheduled for 8 p.m. has been postponed until 11 a.m. tomorrow. Government has apologised for the delay
A nine-year-old is among three people who passed away as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the number of deaths to 28, the Ministry of Health and Wellness said a short while ago.
https://www.nationnews.com/2021/02/16/nine-year-old-among-three-new-covid-related-deaths/
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Cuhdear BajanFebruary 16, 2021 8:34 PM A number of my friends and relatives in Barbados, Canada, England and the United States have taken a Covid vaccine, None of them have grown 3 heads yet.
But Cuhdear,. It is AstraZeneca, the Viagra people.
With all the negative crap out there, you could at least have started a positive rumour, by inferring that another problem AROSE and takes time to recede.
Then, there would be a mad rush for the vaccines.
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@Crusoe
But Cuhdear,. It is AstraZeneca, the Viagra people.
++++++++
Seems like you had some extremely potent liquers or was inhaling some funny tabacky, the world knows ( maybe with one exception) that PFIZER is to be blamed for Viagra.
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@Sargeant
Should the blogmaster be impressed you appear very familiar with Pfizer and one of its most sought after products by men in your age group?
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I hear from some on the blog Waru etc, about systemic racism ,white privilege and so on, in Canada we have put racialized communities ahead of 75 yr olds in the que for the covid vaccine, in some cases a reward for bad behavior . I didnt see any body mentioning it but that hardly seems like what racists do. Is there any sense that barbados will put in a similar policy for its minorities, what if there was a massive outbreak in the white community…who would make the sun come up.?
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Such a silly comment.
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@David
Here I am trying to correct the record and you dissing me with a remark about men of my age and our familiarity and proclivity in the usage of a certain bedroom enhancer. Wunnah young pups can’t fool me, we don’t have to impress anyone, however if the purchasers of that product can be categorized by age group guess who would make up the largest number of purchasers?
BTW how old was Methuselah when he fathered his last child?
I rest my case 😊
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Not silly I have heard total vile comments on whites all month but you guys never see the forest for the trees, I think you finally cracked old Adrian trying nothing more than being helpful never a harsh word on race, I think he finally got sick of hearing what bad people we are.
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@Sargeant We think you doth protest too much LOL.
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@ Lawson February 17, 2021 9:43 AM
“…… what if there was a massive outbreak in the white community…who would make the sun come up.?”
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Wow, and wow, again!!
That has to be the ‘darkest’ of the best of your undercover ‘coloured’ jokes to date.
In the light of ‘black’ ignorance you have placed your chosen people even above the supremacy God.
And you might just be a bit taken aback to find out that black people themselves especially those living in their brain-damaged cocoon of congenital ignorance called Barbados actually see you guys as the embodiment of Yahweh through his only begotten white son called Jesus.
But just remember the same way did the same SUN set on many empires including the British one, so too will IT set on the same melanin-deprived or bleached or white-washed ‘out’ race for their ‘costly’ technological acts committed for their own anthropological survival and which are, inadvertently, fast contributing to the acceleration of global warming and hence to their own demise as a sub-species of homo sapiens.
It’s simply a matter for Father Time which will surely outlived even your god Yahweh as HE has done to the likes of Zeus, Baal, Jupiter and many of their ilk.
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LOL Miller so I will put you down as you agree, in the near term , but you are right when the hispanics take over the world the ones in Texas will surely get rid of Al Gore for his green house effect ,
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SargeantFebruary 17, 2021 9:21 AM Crusoe But Cuhdear,. It is AstraZeneca, the Viagra people. +++++++
Seems like you had some extremely potent liquers or was inhaling some funny tabacky, the world knows ( maybe with one exception) that PFIZER is to be blamed for Viagra.
Sargeant, my error, of course. Mixed the two up. But you said ‘blamed for Viagra’. Surely that should be praised?
Surely any company that can raise the dead, can assist the living?
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https://www.nationnews.com/2021/02/17/live-updates-covid-management-february-17-2021/
There are 40 minors in Barbados’ COVID isolation facilities: 17 males and 23 females
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Viral test backlog declared over – Bostic – Viral test backlog declared over – Bostic: https://barbadostoday.bb/2021/02/18/viral-test-backlog-declared-over-bostic/
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Minister Bostic should not have to be declaring this.
The number of tests outstanding as well as the number of serious cases should be on the Daily dashboard.
They are still doing too much PR.
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“Only” 39 new cases of Covid19 discovered yesterday. The test results are from Febuary 9 to 17.
54 people recovered and have gone home to their families.
9115 people have been vaccinated, including 2432 who were vaccinated today.
https://barbadostoday.bb/2021/02/18/covid-19-update-39-new-cases-54-recoveries/
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COVID vaccines the talk of CARICOM’s mid-term summit – COVID vaccines the talk of CARICOM’s mid-term summit: https://barbadostoday.bb/2021/02/19/covid-vaccines-the-talk-of-caricoms-mid-term-summit/
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Attached are charts for the week ending today Friday 19th. I added a new chart on percent positivity for the data from 23rd January because of a post by Cuhdear bajan. The last 5 or six weeks have been quite traumatic for Barbados re. deaths and almost every other parameter. Rapidly escalating cases and deaths as well as lack of an essential reagent for tests led to some problems including some inaccurate / late reporting of some test results. It appears that most of those problems have now been overcome and it is hoped that the trajectory of the positivity percentages and some other data will become evident over the next few weeks. In the meantime, Barbados’ active cases are currently trending upwards, an unwonted characteristic it shares only with Jamaica amongst the 6 countries being monitored – Lyall Small
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Source: Nation
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Covid vaccines have had a significant impact on the risk of serious illness in Scotland, an analysis shows.
The work led by Public Health Scotland found by the fourth week after the first dose hospitalisations were reduced by 85% and 94% for the Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs respectively.
It is the first sign of the real world impact of the Covid vaccination programme in the UK.
Figures for England are expected to be released later.
Among the over 80s, the combined figure was an 81% reduction.
The preliminary data from the EAVE II project covers 1.14 million vaccinations given between 8 December and 15 February.
Lead researcher Prof Aziz Sheikh said: “These results are very encouraging and have given us great reasons to be optimistic for the future.”….(Quote)
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Covid vaccines – ‘spectacular’ impact on serious illness
The first results of the UK vaccination programme suggests it is having a “spectacular” impact on preventing serious illness. Research led by Public Health Scotland found at four weeks after the first dose, hospital admissions were reduced by 85% and 94% for the Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs respectively. It is the first sign of the real world impact of vaccination in the UK. Figures for England are expected to be released later. Among the over 80s, there was an overall 81% reduction in the numbers admitted to hospital.
More here: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-56153600
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@Hal Austin February 22, 2021 5:53 AM….(Quote)”
If you wish to inform and educate others just writing (quote) is not good enough. You need to add your exact source, name of book, magazine or journal, name of author, date of publication, name of publisher, so that other people can check and verify what you have quoted. With items published online it is typically enough to just add the link which includes the information which I have indicated.
You get a D- this time. Please follow the correct form next time.
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Covid19 deaths per million in CARICOM states, associated states, and their major trading partners, and the neighboring French territories Martinique and Guadaloupe:
UK 1770
USA 1538
Belize 781
Canada 571
Bahamas 452
Guadaloupe 395
Turks & Caicos 358 [an associated state]
Suriname 285
Guyana 240
Montserrat 200 [a single person died, but Montserrat has a tiny population of 5,000 people]
Bermuda 193 [an associated state]
St. Luciam168
Jamaica 133
Antigua 132
Martinique 120
Barbados 108
Trinidad 99
St. Vincent 54
British Virgin Islands 33 [an associated state]
Cayman Islands 30 [an associated state]
Haiti 21
Grenada 9
Anguilla 0 [an associated state]
Dominica 0
St. Kitts 0
But we can still catch up with the mother country and the countries of the great white north if we play the @ss and refuse to mask up properly, hand wash, keep 6 feet away from other people, and if we refuse to be vaccinated.
So what do we do?
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Source: Nation
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Attached are updated charts for the last week ending yesterday. The positivity charts are based on the official data reported to Worldometer. It should be recognized that test data up to about 1 week ago suffered from problems caused primarily by lack of a reagent for automatic testing. The positivity data seems to be now trending downwards. If this can be maintained for 2 weeks the Government can declare that the pause and stop actions have worked. Jamaica’s active cases have shown a consistent increase over the last several weeks and are now at their highest levels – Source: Lyall Small
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another 44 people testing positive for the viral illness on Friday, February 26
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A must-watch interview, presentation and Q&A, especially for doctors and journalists pertaining to COVID treatment at all stages including Long COVID experienced by the long haulers.
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Source: Nation
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Nation
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