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FAQ: Coronavirus Disease 2019

By Howard B. Owens

What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 is a disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

Why is the disease called COVID-19?
COVID is an acronym for "coronavirus disease." The "19" is for the year of discovery, 2019.

What is SARS-CoV-2?
SARS is an acronym for "severe acute respiratory syndrome." CoV is an acronym for "coronavirus." And the "2" means this is the second SARS-CoV discovered. The designation was applied to the virus on Feb. 11, 2020. This name was chosen because the virus is genetically related to the coronavirus responsible for the SARS outbreak of 2003. Although related, the two viruses are different.

Further reading:

What is a coronavirus?
There are many types of viruses and coronavirus is a type of virus that has crown-like spikes on its surface, hence the name "corona," for "crown." The first discovery of a coronavirus was by June Almeida, a woman in Scottland with little formal education but became a lab technician in Glasgow. Coronaviruses are one of the more than 200 types of viruses that cause the common cold. Recently, coronaviruses have emerged that cause serious respiratory conditions. These viruses jumped from animals to humans. These include MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2.

Why is it sometimes called "novel coronavirus"?
"Novel" simply means new. The virus SARS-CoV-2 was not identified by scientists until December 2019.

Further reading:

How did the pandemic start?
It's still unclear how SARS-CoV-2 made the jump from bats to humans but it seems certain the first infections were in Wuhan, China, perhaps in November 2019, but certainly by early December 2019. The Chinese government has been criticized for initially trying to cover up word of a new virus with human-to-human transmission. Whether the virus was transmitted through a wet market or escaped from a Chinese lab that was studying bat viruses is unknown.

Further reading:

Wasn't SARS-CoV-2 created in a lab?
Modern science has a lot of tools to map genomes, and in organisms such as viruses, track their evolution, which is how we know SARS-CoV-2 wasn't created in a lab. We know it came from a bat. What we don't know is how it made the leap from bats to humans.

Further reading:

When did SARS-CoV-2 reach U.S. shores?
Another question still under debate. The first official case was reported Jan. 19 in the state of Washington. The patient had traveled to China. The first case in New York was reported on March 1 and the woman had traveled to Iran. For weeks, officials believed the first U.S. death was in Washington on Feb. 29, but recent autopsies in Santa Clara, Calif., revealed that two people died as a result of COVID-19 on Feb. 6. There is much speculation that the virus was being transmitted in the United States before these dates. Antibody tests in California have been used to suggest that the disease arrived earlier and is more widespread than previously thought, but these studies have been challenged for methodological flaws.

Further reading:

What makes SARS-CoV-2 particularly worrisome?
There are three reasons health experts became alarmed about COVID-19: It is easily transmitted to a lot of people quickly; there is no vaccine and no natural immunity at the start of the outbreak; and based on data available at the start of the outbreak, it appeared to have a mortality rate much higher than other viruses, including those that cause influenza. Scientists do not understand why but some people can become infected and never know it, or have such mild symptoms, they don't suspect they're carriers. For most people who do show symptoms, the symptoms can take days to manifest. This means infected people can spread the virus without knowing it as they go about their daily lives as they normally would. Because this is a novel, or new, virus, people who haven't been infected have no immunity. The mortality rate is still under debate but early reports from China indicated that more than three percent of those who were infected died. The mortality rate is been both higher and lower in other population groups and since it's unclear in any population group how many people are infected, the mortality rate is likely even lower than currently reported numbers. But even using available data for a lower mortality rate, given how quickly the virus can spread and the lack of herd immunity, a lot of people could still die without protective action by society.

How is SARS-CoV-2 spread?
Like many things about this coronavirus, there are many questions that scientists are still trying to answer and this is one of them. The most likely mode of transmission is respiratory. This means people are more likely to become infected through breathing air that contains aerosol spray containing the virus or droplets of moisture that contain the virus. It's also possible that body secretions such as tears contain the virus. There is also some evidence that fecal-oral transmission is possible. Germs can also be transmitted through surfaces and depending on the surface, SARS-CoV-2 can survive for 24 to 72 hours on some surfaces. This makes it possible for a person to become infected by touching a surface and then touching his or her mouth.

Why is it important to know how SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted?
The mode of transmission could have policy ramifications for how the disease is fought at a government level and will inform members of society on their best course of action to slow transmission. The mode of transmission relates to the effectiveness of social distancing, in what environments social distancing is most effective or perhaps not necessary, whether people should wear masks, and what custodians of public places must do to protect people. For example, if the most frequent form of transmission is in droplets, that likely means there needs to be a method that propels the droplets through the air from one person to another, such as through coughing or sneezing -- or air conditioning, as one study suggests. If the primary mode of transmission is through an aerosol, that means the virus can hang in the air of an enclosed space for hours infecting everybody who passes through that space. If the mode of transmission is droplets, that means masks are much more effective not only at protecting others from asymptomatic carriers, but may also provide some protection people wearing masks who have not been infected. If the transmission is through aerosol, masks are less effective (though that doesn't mean not effective).

Further reading:

Can our pets become infected?
There are cases of other mammals contracting COVID-19, including dogs in China, tigers at Bronx Zoo, and two domesticated cats in New York.

Can I become infected from eating food?
There is currently no evidence that the novel coronavirus is transmitted through food.

Is package delivery safe?
There is no evidence of a person being infected from the virus traveling on a package delivered to a home or business and scientists doubt it is possible even though the virus can survive on cardboard up to 24 hours.

Further reading:

Isn't COVID-19 just another version of the flu?
There are some important differences between COVID-19 and influenza. First, people who contract the flu are contagious and symptomatic simultaneously. This will naturally cause many people to self-quarantine making it less likely they will infect others. All people who contract COVID-19 have no symptoms for days while being infectious and many people never become symptomatic or have such mild symptoms they don't realize they've contracted the diseases. This increases the likelihood these carriers will infect other people, including people most susceptible to serious, even deadly, complications. There are vaccines for known strains of influenza and as much as 60 percent of the U.S. population is inoculated every year, with the highest percentage among those vulnerable to complications. There is no vaccine for COVID-19. There is also little to no natural immunity to COVID-19 in the population while there is some to influenza. This lack of herd immunity, either through natural immunity or vaccination, which experts say needs to be 60 or 70 percent of the population to be effective, also makes widespread infection much more likely. While the mortality rate of COVID-19 is still unclear even the lowest estimations indicate it is deadlier than the flu.

Further reading:

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
A person infected with COVID-19 may start showing symptoms within two to 14 days of exposure. Symptoms include fever, dry cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, headache, chills. If you suspect you are ill, you should contact your primary health care provider by phone or through your patient portal.

Further reading:

How do we slow the spread of COVID-19?
First, people who have been infected must be identified and isolated. Because it's possible to be infected and asymptomatic, this requires testing and contact tracing. When people test positive, public health officials must identify other people who have come into contact with the infected person and test them. People who have been infected are placed in isolation. People who have come into contact with them are placed in quarantine. As a society, effective measures at slowing the spread include social distancing (minimizing contact with other people), handwashing, and mask wearing.

Why is it important to slow the spread of COVID-19?
The faster the diseases spread, the more people who become seriously ill. If too many people become ill simultaneously, our hospitals can become overwhelmed with patients. This could mean many people don't receive adequate treatment and more people die. Slowing the spread helps avoid this nightmare scenario and also allows the health care system to build capacity, including building up a supply of ventilators and personal protective equipment for health care workers.

What's the difference between isolation and quarantine?
People who are known to be contagious are placed in isolation. This means avoiding contact with other people, even when living in the same residence (public health departments can provide temporary housing when home isolation is impossible). Quarantine is ordered when people have come in close contact with a person who is known to have contracted the disease but have not yet shown symptoms or have not tested positive. A person in quarantine is not isolated from other people but must follow specific procedures to avoid close contact and take precautions against spreading the disease in case they are infectious but do not know it.

Further reading:

How does COVID-19 kill?
It attacks a victim's respiratory system, heart, brain, blood, and other vital organs. It can also force the body's immune system to kick into overdrive, which causes the body to kill itself.

Further reading:

I heard the number of COVID-19 deaths is inflated because deaths by other causes are being attributed to COVID-19. Is this true?
It was widely reported at the outset of the pandemic that COVID-19 is most dangerous for the "vulnerable population," which means the elderly, people with heart and respiratory conditions, diabetes, and obesity. Now conspiracy theorists want to use the fact that COVID-19 does kill people with other health issues as a reason to claim that the number of COVID-19 deaths is being over-reported. It should be obvious that even if a person had a heart condition or cancer they might have lived years longer if they had not contracted this coronavirus. Further, COVID-19 causes cardiac arrest in even healthy people so why should such a death be reported as anything other than COVID-19? Arguably, COVID-19 kills nobody. It causes other organs to fail either by a direct attack on those organs or by causing the immune system to weaken those organs. o follow the logic of the conspiracy theorists to its natural conclusion, there have been zero COVID-19 deaths. Obviously, that preposterous.

Further reading:

How is COVID-19 treated?
There is no FDA-approved treatment. For mild cases, patients are isolated at home or at a public health agency's approved location and encouraged to rest and hydrate. For severe cases, patients are hospitalized and given oxygen and perhaps an IV for hydration. Some patients are placed on a ventilator, which is a machine that breathes for the patient when the lungs can no longer function on their own (because the membrane around the lungs has become stiff). Most patients placed on a ventilator succumb to the disease.

Further reading: 

What new treatments are being developed?
While there are no FDA-approved treatments, there are more than 500 clinical trials either under way or planned. Unfortunately, many of the studies are small and lack real control groups, complicating the search for a viable treatment. Typically, clinical trials take years and most fail. It's hard to say when or if scientists will uncover an effective treatment.

What will it take to "reopen our economy"?
The main goal of the "flatten the curve" strategy was to keep hospitals from becoming overwhelmed with the sick and dying. That strategy has so far been successful. In many parts of the country, such as New York, the curve appears to have flattened. But that doesn't mean SARS-CoV-2 has gone away. The CDC recommendation is to reopen the economy slowly, in phases, and relying on testing, contact tracing, and isolations and quarantines to keep the rate of transmission below a 1 to 1.2 (meaning less than one person infecting 1.2 other people on average).

Further reading:

Are there more people infected than we know about?
With a disease with a high transmission rate and asymptomatic people, there are certainly people who were infected that have not been counted by health officials.

Further reading: 

Is COVID-19 seasonal?
Respiratory diseases are typically seasonal. The seasonality of viruses is due to a combination of factors that are unique to each virus, including how the virus survives in heat and humidity and the human body's own response to the virus. At this point, there isn't enough information about SARS-CoV-2 to reach a conclusive determination. Given the fact that there have been significant outbreaks in the Southern Hemisphere suggests that COVID-19 is not seasonal.

Further reading:

If testing is key to controlling transmission, why isn't there more testing?
The United States started late on testing because of issues with the CDC's first test and there has been an ongoing issue with the supply chain for testing material, from swabs to the assays used to detect the virus in samples. The situation is improving and there are new tests in development that don't require swabs.

Further reading:

What about antibody testing?
Antibody testing can be used to detect people who were infected with SARS-CoV-2. But not all antibody tests are as equally effective and cannot be relied on by individuals to determine if they've become immune to the disease. Antibody tests are most useful for giving a better estimate of how many people have actually been infected in a given population group.

Further reading:

I heard Sweden didn't close its economy so why was it necessary to close ours?
Much has been made on social media about the Swedish government's approach to the novel coronavirus, which was to not mandate business closures and enforced social distancing. The result appears to be a higher death rate than other countries while the economy has also been harmed.

Further reading:

Are people who survive COVID-19 immune? Can they be reinfected?
This is a key question that may determine the future of herd immunity and whether a vaccine can be developed and the virus is still so new, scientists have no definitive answer to the question of individual immunity.

Further reading:

When will there be a vaccine available?
The FDA has never approved a vaccine for humans for any type of coronavirus, and vaccines for pets and livestock have proven weak. Estimates for the development of a vaccine range from 12 months to 18 months, to four years to never. But there are also promising vaccine trials under way.

Further reading:

Will there be a second wave of COVID-19 cases? When will this be over?
Like anything, nobody can predict the future but second and third waves in pandemics are common.

Further reading:

No new COVID-19 cases reported in Genesee County in past 24 hours

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments have received one more COVID-19 case. Orleans has one new case and Genesee has zero. 

Contact tracing has been initiated and all who have had direct contact with the individual will be notified by Health Department staff.

There is currently no further information to release on ages and location.  Mapping to include the positive cases from the weekend will be updated on Monday afternoon.

We continue to encourage our residents to be vigilant about handwashing, cleaning frequently used surfaces, properly wearing cloth face coverings over the mouth and nose, keeping your hands away from your face, limiting time out in public and when you do need to go out for essentials you designate one person from your household, keep social distancing and stay home if you are sick.

In daily briefing, Cuomo lays out plan for reopening New York

By Howard B. Owens

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Daily Briefing for Day 57:

Cuomo today (April 26) said the state will be reopened in stages and by region.

Phase I will involve construction and manufacturing activities, starting with businesses that have a low risk. Phase II will is a business-by-business analysis based on how essential the service and the risk associated with business operations.

Cuomo said businesses will have to think about how they will reopen in Phase II: "It's very much going to be up to businesses."  

There will be two weeks between phases to monitor spread and hospitalizations. 

He also said that businesses can't open that encourage travel from other regions to regions within the state.

Poetry Month: Avey Williams reads Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Suess

By Howard B. Owens
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Avey Williams reads Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Suess. Avey is associated with Batavia Players.

Travel in Genesee County has dropped by 40 percent according to Google

By Howard B. Owens

Using data from the map app on Android phones, Google has provided data travel changes over the past several for locations throughout the world, including Genesee County.

The data is collected anonymously and not linked to any personal data, according to Google.

Below are charts from the website for Genesee County.

Apple has a similar project for iPhones but their data set does not include county-level profiles.

New York State's travel has dropped 62 percent.

 

 

Photo: Juvenile bald eagle in Stafford

By Howard B. Owens

Judy Schildwaster submitted this photo of a juvenile bald eagle taken yesterday morning off of Route 33 in Stafford.

Two people seriously injured in bicycle, motorcycle accident on Route 5

By Howard B. Owens

 

A bicyclist and a motorcycle rider were both seriously injured this evening in a crash on Route 5 at Wortendyke Road, Batavia.

A 17-year-old female from Batavia, whose name was not released, was riding a bike northbound on Wortendyke, according to the Sheriff's Office, when she attempted to cross Route 5.

Joshua Fullmer, 27, of Harvester Avenue, was eastbound on a 2014 Yamaha motorcycle.

The motorcycle collided with the bicycle.

Both patients were transported by Mercy Flight to Erie County Medical Center. 

The crash is being investigated by the Sheriff's Office. Charges may be pending.

Also responding to the scene were the State Police, Le Roy Ambulance, Town of Batavia Fire, East Pembroke Fire, Mercy EMS, and members of the Emergency Management team.

Photos by Alecia Kaus/Video News Service.

Batavia PD warns about dangerous cocaine mix after two overdoses

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

The Batavia Police Department wants to warn citizens of a dangerous mixture of cocaine currently on the street. There have already been two overdose cases today.

The warning comes in an attempt to stop further overdoses, which can be fatal. Police are working to locate the source and put a stop to further incidents.

Victim information and statuses are not being released.

Anyone with information can contact the Genesee County Drug Task Force at (585) 343-3020, the Batavia Police Department at (585) 345-6350, the confidential tip line at (585) 345-6370 or online here.

The Batavia Police would also like to offer assistance to persons who are struggling with addiction. Through our Police Assistance Addiction & Recovery Initiative, or PAARI program, we have partnered with the Genesee-Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (GCASA) in an effort to decrease the number of opiate-related deaths and reduce the crime associated with opiate abuse.

Anyone who is struggling with addiction can come to the police department 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and we will assist in locating a treatment program, with no questions asked. We strive to help and support those who are looking to break the chains of addiction.

Several citizens have taken advantage of the program and we feel this is another way in which we can help win the war against drugs!

One new COVID-19 case reported in Genesee County

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments have received five more COVID-19 cases. Orleans has four new cases from The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehab and Genesee has one. Contact tracing has been initiated for all of the positive cases.

Contact tracing has been initiated and all who have had direct contact with the individuals will be notified by Health Department staff.

“We are also saddened to report that Orleans County has lost two more individuals to COVID-19," said Paul Pettit, director of Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments. Both individuals were residents at The Villages of Orleans with one person under the age of 65 and one person over 65. Our sincere condolences go to the family and friends of these two individuals.”

There is currently no further information to release on ages and location. Mapping to include the positive cases from the weekend will be updated on Monday afternoon.

Photos: Dinosaurs Downtown

By Howard B. Owens

A reader tipped us to a trio of dinosaurs marauding through Downtown Batavia. We hunted them down and shot them (with a camera) while they were passing by St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church.

Poetry Month: Lucine Kauffman reads 'Leisure' by W.H. Davies

By Howard B. Owens
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Elba resident Lucine Kauffman reads "Leisure" by W.H. Davies.

LIVE: Health Department COVID 19 Briefing April 24, 2020

By Howard B. Owens
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Written briefing:

  • As of 2 p.m.
    • Genesee County received one new positive case of COVID-19 for a total of 142 positive cases.
      • The positive case resides in Elba.
      • The positive case is in their 50s.
      • The newly positive individual was not on quarantine prior to becoming symptomatic.
      • Five of the previous positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
      • One of the total active positive cases is hospitalized.
    • Orleans County received 10 new positive cases of COVID-19 for a total of 75 positive cases.
      • One positive case resides in Barre, and one resides in Kendall.
      • Eight of the positive cases were from The Villages of Orleans Health & Rehab Facility.
      • One individual is in their 30s, one individual is in their 40s, two individuals are in their 60s and one individual is in their 70s, three individuals are in their 80s and two individuals are in their 90s or older.
      • One of the newly positive individuals was on quarantine prior to becoming symptomatic.
      • Eight of the total active positive cases are hospitalized.
  • Orleans County has been made aware of two more deaths from The Villages of Orleans Health & Rehab, both of the individuals were over 65. Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of these individuals, our neighbors, during this very sad time.

McMurray calls on Jacobs to denounce McConnell's statement on state bankruptcies

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

Today, Nate McMurray, candidate for U.S. Congress in the June 23 special election in NY-27, condemned U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for holding hostage critically needed aid for New Yorkers, and called on opponent Chris Jacobs to do the same.

“Even the idea of the federal government turning their back on states during the biggest healthcare crisis in U.S. history is unfathomable and should infuriate all of us, regardless of party affiliation," McMurray said. "This is not ‘free money’, it exists to serve the American people and to ensure they are able to receive everyday critical services like those provided by our First Responders and school districts here in Western New York.”

The U.S. Senate, under McConnell’s leadership, rejected essential funding for state and local governments in the latest emergency relief bill this week. McConnell said he’d favor states’ declaring bankruptcy over providing additional federal aid to states facing catastrophic budget gaps during the COVID-19 crisis.

“New York invests $116 billion dollars into the federal government, and the people of the 27th deserve their fair share as they struggle to make ends meet, now more than ever," McMurray said.

"As a sitting NYS Senator, Chris Jacobs should know this better than most, but I’m not holding my breath for him to buck his party line and stand up for what’s right after he recently voted against providing New Yorkers paid sick leave during the pandemic. The people of NY-27 have gone years without real, independent leadership; they cannot afford to be abandoned by the government in their darkest hour."

One new COVID-19 case reported in Genesee County, 74 active cases, 64 recovered

By Howard B. Owens

Health Department daily briefing:

  • As of 2 p.m.
    • Genesee County received one new positive case of COVID-19, for a total of 141 positive cases.
      • The positive case resides in Batavia.
      • The positive case is in their 60s.
      • The newly positive individual was not on quarantine prior to becoming symptomatic.
      • Three of the previous positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
      • Two of the total active positive cases are hospitalized.
  • Orleans County received three new positive cases of COVID-19, for a total of 65 positive cases
    • Two positive cases reside in Albion and one resides in Clarendon.
    • Two individuals are in their 20s, and one individual is in their 70s.
    • One of the newly positive individuals was on quarantine prior to becoming symptomatic.
    • Six of the total active positive cases are hospitalized.
    • One of the new positive individuals is a resident of The Villages of Orleans Health & Rehab.

Orleans County was notified of two additional deaths related to COVID-19. Both individuals were residents of The Villages of Orleans Health & Rehab and both were over the age of 65. We extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of these individuals during this difficult time.

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