Tuesday, November 3, 2020

Don't know how you contracted COVID-19? Experts say 'it's no longer obvious'

 

 

Don't know how you contracted COVID-19? Experts say 'it's no longer obvious'

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Across the country, cases of COVID-19 are increasing at an alarming pace. In the last seven days, more than 500,000 people were diagnosed with COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And a growing number of people have no idea how they contracted the virus, doctors say.

“It’s increasingly becoming common” for patients to not know how they got COVID-19, Dr. Amesh A. Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, tells Yahoo Life. Dr. Richard Watkins, an infectious disease physician and professor of internal medicine at the Northeast Ohio Medical University, agrees. He tells Yahoo Life that “lately, most of” his patients don’t know where they contracted the virus. The same is true for Dr. Rajeev Fernando, an infectious disease expert in Southampton, N.Y. For many of his patients, “it’s because people tell me they’ve not been wearing masks as they should,” he tells Yahoo Life.

This trend says a lot about the virus and where things are headed, Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, tells Yahoo Life. “The virus can spread from people who have no symptoms or who are asymptomatic,” he says. “It’s now spreading in a way that people experience when they get the common cold. They wonder, ‘Where did I get that?’ and it can be difficult to really know the answer. This is an indication of how widely spread the virus has become in our communities.”

EL PASO, TX - OCTOBER 31: An attendant talks to a person waiting in their car at a coronavirus testing site at Ascarate Park on October 31, 2020 in El Paso, Texas. As El Paso reports record numbers of active coronavirus cases, the Texas Attorney General sues to block local shutdown orders. (Photo by Cengiz Yar/Getty Images)

Henry F. Raymond, associate professor and epidemiologist at the Rutgers School of Public Health, tells Yahoo Life that the increase in people who don’t know how they contracted COVID-19 indicates that “there are a lot of asymptomatic spreaders.”

“It’s no longer obvious, like you were with a friend, they looked bad and they sneezed on you,” he says. “We’re definitely seeing a lot of younger people who are asymptomatic, carrying the virus and spreading it.”

At the same time, “many people don’t understand how contagious the coronavirus is,” Watkins says, adding, “this, combined with the high number of asymptomatic infected people, is what is driving the pandemic, which is not showing signs of slowing. We are definitely not ‘turning a corner.’”

Not knowing how you caught the virus can make it difficult for contact tracers to figure out patterns in transmission, Raymond says. It’s not entirely cut and dry, though.

“In some ways it’s easier, in some ways it’s harder,” Adalja says. “If you don’t know who you got the virus from, it’s hard to find patterns with contact tracing.” But people are increasingly spending time in smaller groups, which can make it easier for contact tracers to know who to contact next, he says. “If you have only been around three people, it’s easier to know who are your contacts,” Adalja says.

The rise of contact tracing apps like New York’s COVID Alert NY and Pennsylvania’s COVID Alert PA may help, but it’s too soon to know how much they can contribute, Raymond says. “It’s too early to tell how many people are actually going to download them and activate them to see what impact it might have,” he says.

The trend toward people hosting others in their own homes as the weather cools is concerning to Adalja. “It’s harder to intervene in what people are doing in their own homes versus in mass gatherings or at a restaurant. It’s much more difficult to come up with a plan for people to follow.”

That’s why Adalja recommends that people remain “really vigilant” about how they’re acting when they’re around others. In addition to following the CDC’s guidelines for preventing the spread of the virus, like wearing masks, practicing social distancing and washing hands regularly, Adalja urges people to think about their potential exposure at home. “If you can see other people outdoors instead of indoors and keep your distance, that’s better,” he says. “I suspect that people are not going to be wearing face coverings in their own home.”

Raymond stresses that people should be aware that current case counts of the virus are “just the tip of the iceberg,” adding, “in general, the amount of virus in the community is much higher than people realize.” There are “probably thousands who are, on some level of the spectrum — maybe they feel achy but they don’t get a test, or they don’t feel bad at all but they’re spreading the virus — and they’re not being counted,” Raymond says.

Raymond urges people to be aware that the pandemic is still ongoing, and that it’s getting worse. “We are in this for a longer time than we ever hoped,” he says. “Now is not the time to think that the fight is over.”

For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC’s and WHO’s resource guides.

 

Friday, October 30, 2020

Wolves G Malik Beasley charged with pointing assault rifle at family on parade of homes tour

 

 

U.S.

Wolves G Malik Beasley charged with pointing assault rifle at family on parade of homes tour


MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MARCH 6: Malik Beasley #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on in the third quarter during the game against the Orlando Magic at Target Center on March 6, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Magic defeated the Timberwolves 132-118. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Malik Beasley faces multiple felony charges after an alleged incident with an assault rifle. (David Berding/Getty Images)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley was arrested after police say he pointed an assault rifle at a family of three that approached his rental home during a parade of homes tour in the Minneapolis suburb of Plymouth.

Beasley and his girlfriend, Montana Yao, are also facing drug charges after the incident led to a search of their home and the seizure of nearly two pounds of marijuana, according to a statement from the Hennepin County Attorney's Office.

Felony charges against Beasley, girlfriend

Beasley is charged with fifth-degree drug possession and felony threats of violence while Yao is charged with fifth-degree drug possession. Both are 23. They have a 1½-year-old son together. The alleged incident took place on Sept. 26.

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The Timberwolves released a statement Thursday acknowledging the charges.

“We are aware of the charges involving Malik Beasley,” the statement reads. “We take these allegations seriously and will let the legal process run its course.”

What allegedly happened

According to the charges, a couple and their 13-year-old daughter pulled up to the shoulder of the road in front of Beasley’s home in their SUV while touring the parade of homes. Beasley’s house was roped off. As the family sat in the SUV, Beasley allegedly approached the vehicle with an assault rifle and tapped on a window.

He pointed the gun at the vehicle and told the family to “get the f--- off” his property, according to prosecutors. The criminal complaint described the weapon as an “all-black assault rifle with a forehand grip” and a scope. He kept the gun pointed at the vehicle as it drove away, according to the complaint.

Police search allegedly led to more guns, pot

The alleged incident prompted multiple 911 calls and led police to search Beasley’s home for the rifle. When they entered the home, they say they detected an “overwhelming odor” of marijuana and found 1.8 pounds of the drug in the home. They claim they found a rifle matching the one described in the report in addition to a 12-gauge shotgun and a handgun.

Police say they also seized surveillance footage from the home showing Beasley grabbing his rifle and taking it outside around the same time the family reported the confrontation.

Yao told police that the marijuana belonged to her and that she obtained it at a medical marijuana dispensary, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Beasley averaged 20.7 points per game in 14 games with the Timberwolves last season after a midseason trade from the Denver Nuggets. He has a court appearance scheduled for Nov. 19. Yao is due in court on Dec. 29.

 

Thursday, October 29, 2020

my freaking gun will not hut you unless you TRY to hurt me

 

 

stop talking crap about so called voters intimidating

 

this was sent to me a min ago.... Farmington Hills man charged with unemployment fraud showboated lavish lifestyle on social media

 ( work for your own money....freakin jerk)

 

 

Farmington Hills man charged with unemployment fraud showboated lavish lifestyle on social media


Screen Shot 2020-10-28 at 5.24.00 PM.png
Posted at 9:00 PM, Oct 28, 2020
and last updated 11:13 PM, Oct 28, 2020

(WXYZ) — A Farmington Hills man is facing several charges accused of stealing from the unemployment insurance agency, then showboating his lavish lifestyle on social media with stacks of cash, luxury cars and appearing to brag to law enforcement.

This is a brazen crime spree that started back in April. US Attorney Mathew Schneider says if you think you can steal from the government and not get caught, you’d better think again.

“This unemployment fraud could be the largest fraud against the taxpayers in a generation,” Schneider said.

Andre Taylor Jr., 27, of Farmington Hills, is charged with three counts of wire fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft and four counts of mail fraud after he allegedly defrauded the Michigan unemployment insurance agency, credit card companies and stole identities of area residents.

“It’s stunning the amount of money that is being taken away from people who are unemployed,” Schneider said.

Taylor is accused of filing unemployment claims in Michigan and other states. It’s alleged he had the state unemployment agencies send him $600 in prepaid credit cards, an additional weekly benefit during the pandemic for people out of work, and spent those gifts cards an Meijer, Kroger and other stores. He would even allegedly mail some of the cards to his house and relatives.

“When you’re unemployed and you need that money for yourself that goes to feed your family, there’s only so much money available and when people like this steal that money away, it really hurts the people of Michigan,” Schneider said.

US Attorney Mathew Schneider says Taylor would then post pictures of mounds of cash, luxury cars and more on social media. Schneider says it wasn’t the feds who brought them this case, it was the USPS who say Taylor would bribe mail carriers to steal debit and credit cards along their routes.

“In this case it was the US postal service. The postal inspection service. Those postal workers are doing a great job and now in our country we hear people talking bad things about the postal service; they’re the ones bringing us these cases,” Schneider said.

Schneider says it’s disgusting to see people stealing from people who need the money the most, but promises they’re not done yet.

“So, whether or not you’re going to brag about it on social media or not, we are going to follow the money trail until we track you down,” he said.

This investigation is still in the early stages. Schneider says they are still counting the money but says he expects the amount to be enormous.