All posts by medical

Immunology

7 Hay Fever Symptoms and How to Treat It, According to Allergists – Prevention.com

Allergy season is here and the timing couldnt be worse. People with allergic rhinitis (a.k.a. hay fever) are developing symptoms that could potentially be mistaken for COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus.

Theres one key thing to keep in mind, though. Allergies are predictable, says S. Michael Phillips, M.D., a professor of medicine in allergy and immunology at Penn Medicine. They come on at a certain time because of pollen.

This allergy season could be particularly bad, depending on where you live, because many parts of the country had a mild winter. Since it has been unseasonably warm, there has been an increase in pollen, says Purvi Parikh, M.D., an allergist with Allergy & Asthma Network. That winter warmth can cause trees and flowers to bloom early, leading to a longer, more drawn out allergy season, she explains.

But allergy season is taking hold while confirmed cases of COVID-19 surge in the U.S., making it an especially tricky time to have hay feveryes, even if youve never dealt with allergies in the past.

Allergies can take years to develop, Dr. Parikh says. And, in more severe seasons, people who dont usually have allergies may develop some kind of reaction simply because theres so much pollen out there, Dr. Phillips says. With that in mind, here are the top symptoms of hay fever to watch for this spring, and what to do if this is a new thing for you.

Allergiesseasonal or notbegin with your immune system, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI). If you have allergies, your immune system mistakes an otherwise harmless substance like pollen as an invader, so it overreacts by producing Immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies. Those antibodies then travel to cells that release histamine and other chemicals, spurring an allergic reaction. During the spring, the most common triggers of allergic rhinitis are grass and tree pollen. In the fall, airborne mold spores and ragweed are top offenders.

Hay fever specifically affects the nose, but the name is a bit misleading: It doesnt cause a fever and you dont need to be exposed to hay to feel the effects. If you have seasonal allergies, you might experience the following symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI).

Because these symptoms feel like the common cold, it can be tough to figure out what your body is dealing with. Still not sure if its hay fever? Ask yourself these questions:

How did your symptoms start? Colds tend to come on slowly (typically over a few days) while allergies start up as soon as youve been exposed to an allergen.

Are you itchy? An itchy nose, throat, or eyes is a classic sign of allergies, but its pretty uncommon for colds. Sometimes, if pollen comes into contact with the skin, it can cause itching and actual hives, Dr. Phillips says.

Do you have a fever or body aches? Colds and other illnesses caused by viruses can cause both, but allergies dont. Thats the biggest difference between seasonal allergies and COVID-19, too. Seasonal allergies dont usually cause a fever, which is common for coronavirus patients, Dr. Phillips says.

How long have your symptoms gone on for? Colds tend to clear up in a week or two. But if your symptoms go on for weeks or months, youre probably dealing with allergies.

Doctors would typically recommend calling your local allergist to try to figure out what, exactly, youre allergic to and the right treatment for you. But right now, things are a little different as the U.S. faces an overwhelmed healthcare system.

Instead, you can take conservative measures on your own, and there are a variety of options, says Omid Mehdizadeh, M.D., an otolaryngologist and laryngologist at Providence Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif.

Start with a salt water spray or nasal irrigation to try to clean out your nasal passages. If that doesnt work, you can use an air purifier as well, he says. These devices help eliminate contaminants in the air, like pollen, pet dander, and mold spores.

Making lifestyle changes, like keeping your windows closed and showering as soon as you come inside after being outdoors can also help, Dr. Phillips says.

OTC medication is also really effective if these steps dont seem to do enough. Steroid sprays are a good way to start, Dr. Parikh says, citing Flonase, Nasacort, and long-acting antihistamines like Allegra, Zyrtec, and Claritin, as good options. If you can find generic versions of these, Dr. Phillips recommends trying that route to save money. Generic drugs are 99.9% identical to a brand name, he says.

If youve tried those steps and you still dont have relief, Dr. Parikh recommends consulting an allergist. Many are doing tele-visits, she says, noting that allergists can confirm if youre experiencing allergies during these virtual appointments and prescribe medication if needed. Eventually, though, theyll want to test you to see what your triggers are.

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7 Hay Fever Symptoms and How to Treat It, According to Allergists - Prevention.com

Immunology

Allergies or COVID-19: how to spot the difference in symptoms – 1011now

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - With spring comes more warm days, more sunshine and unfortunately, more pollen.

It comes a time when getting outside for a walk or run is one of the only safe ways to get outside, meaning allergy sufferers should know what to watch for, in case what you think is allergies is something more serious.

"It's officially that season," Dr. Kirk Kinberg, with Allergy, Asthma and Immunology said.

Kinberg said pollen counts are up, with tree pollen from juniper and elm trees especially high. This will likely continue from now until the first frost of next fall.

It happens every year. but what doesn't happen, is a pandemic.

Kinberg said he's already getting calls from patients wondering if their allergy symptoms are signs of the Coronavirus.

"There is overlap, allergies can make you feel as if you've had a cold, so it can be hard to tell, Kinberg said.

But there are a few ways to tell a difference, Kinberg said.

The main symptoms of allergies are sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, sinus drainage or pressure and the potential loss of sense of smell. The main symptoms of the Coronavirus are fever, cough and shortness of breath.

While allergies can cause a cough or shortness of breath for those with asthma or more severe cases, Kinberg said it's rare for allergies to cause a fever.

If you develop symptoms, the best way to rule out allergies is to take an allergy medicine and see if your symptoms go away.

"If you start to develop increasing shortness of breathe, fever or losing sense of smell, those would be indicators you could need more testing," Kinberg said.

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Allergies or COVID-19: how to spot the difference in symptoms - 1011now

Immunology

Helping your workforce deal with the fear and anxiety around Covid-19 is essential – Elite Business Magazine

Helping staff manage their fear and anxiety will be essential as we move through the Covid-19 pandemic. As a medical doctor, with a degree in psychology and a PhD in immunology I know that that its going to take more than working from home.

Most organisations have recognised their legal and moral responsibility towards their employees. Most have directed employees towards practical advice hopefully from reputable sources, such as those provided by the NHS and WHO.

The focus has been on physical measures- things like hand washing, social distancing and making plans to work from home where possible. But given the profound interaction between a human beings psychology and immunology such guidance is not enough. In fact, organisations should do much more if they care seriously for their employees.

Human immunity and stress

The thing that impairs human immunity more than anything else is the stress hormone cortisol. And what determines the level of cortisol we have flowing around our body is the level of fear and anxiety we experience. The more we panic the worse our immune system becomes and the more likely we are to become infected if we are exposed to the virus. In addition, how well we cope with the virus if we do become infected is also significantly influenced by our cortisol levels. The more anxious we feel the more likely the virus will replicate and the more likely we could experience complications such as pneumonia, which is the thing that is killing people. Furthermore, the more anxious we are the more likely the virus will linger and replicate in our bodies and this may actually make us more contagious to others.

Help reduce fear

So responsible organisations need to not only offer practical guidance they need to offer emotional guidance too. They have a responsibility not to fuel the panic and anxiety. In fact, reducing fear and anxiety for employees must be a top priority for all organisations.

Employees are being bombarded by scary stories on mainstream and social media. Their anxieties are being fed by this stream of news, rumour and speculation. While there is little control organisations can exert over the news reaching their employees from outside, they should take care not to amplify employee fears in their own internal communications.

Good communication will help

The right information helps reduce anxieties, and good internal communication is a start when it comes to addressing this emotional aspect of the current pandemic.

Its worth remembering that some of the practical advice might even directly increase fears and anxieties. Where they are able, many employees are being encouraged to work from home. They might also be asked to self-isolate if they have been in contact with someone who has COVID-19. While absolutely necessary from a physical health perspective this social distancing, is likely to affect our mental health too. It can create feelings of isolation which can increase anxiety levels. Without those social support networks in your office, you may feel less able to deal with the anxieties you face.

All of this means, that the best advice for organisations right now to help them reduce the fear and anxieties of their employees is for them to help their workforce to emotionally self-regulate. In other words, to help them move away from a state of fear and anxiety towards a state of resolve. Effectively embrace the classically British mantra keep calm and carry on. Panic will not help you. It will reduce your immunity and make you more likely to make the wrong choices for your situation.

Breathe and feel positive

Effective emotional regulation starts with stabilising your breathing - breathing rhythmically and evenly through the heart area. Not deep breathing and not abdominal breathing. Such a breathing pattern stabilises your biology. Then try and deliberately experience a state of optimism or resolve or patience. Really try and feel this emotion in your body rather than just thinking it. Positive thinking wont cut it. Positive feeling will increase the levels of the vitality hormone DHEA in your system. DHEA is the bodys main antidote to cortisol.

Enabling employees to become masters of their own emotional state is critical to reducing fear and anxiety. Its clearly very relevant to the current pandemic crisis and its my strongest piece of advice for organisations right now. In the future helping employees manage their emotional state will soon be seen as central to every effective employee wellbeing programme and not just something to think about during a crisis.

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Helping your workforce deal with the fear and anxiety around Covid-19 is essential - Elite Business Magazine

Human Behavior

See how coronavirus has changed society in this video of before-and-after satellite views – Space.com

The coronavirus pandemic continues around the world, satellites in space are revealing a radical shift in human behavior.

Countries including the United States, Italy and China have advised against nonessential travel and many people around the world are either quarantined or self-isolated to reduce the spread of the disease, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. This has led to a drastic reduction in crowds at normally populated areas.

Our new video here showcases a number images from both before and after the virus, which causes the disease COVID-19, spread into a worldwide pandemic. These images show the incredible ways in which our species has adapted our behaviors as a result of COVID-19, as spotted by satellites. The views were taken by Maxar's WorldView Earth-observation satellites over the last few weeks.

More: Coronavirus impacts from space: Before-and-after satellite photosUpdates: The coronavirus pandemic impacts on space exploration

First-off, you see the Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan, China pop into existence in the blink of an eye. China built the hospital in just 10 days this January as part of the country's fight against COVID-19. In the video, you can see the hospital swell, with a number of blue hospital structures added onto the initial building.

Next, satellites have captured images of Tokyo Disneyland which, before the pandemic, was full of people and bustling with activity and, after, was absolutely empty.

The video goes on to show before and after images of Tiananmen Square in China, the Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport in Iran, the Shrine of Hazrat Masoumeh in Qom, Iran, Milan Cathedral in Italy, Battery Park in New York City, USA, Bethesda Fountain in NYC and the Salt Lake City International Airport Car Rental Center in Utah, USA.

The striking visuals recorded by Maxar are expected to continue over the next month. This week, "social distancing" and stay-at-home recommendations in the United States were extended to run through at least April 30.

Follow Chelsea Gohd on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

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See how coronavirus has changed society in this video of before-and-after satellite views - Space.com

Human Behavior

‘Devs’ vs ‘Westworld’: While both obsess over lack of free will, HBO’s show displays its real-world effects – MEAWW

In the midst of a dystopian battle against a non-sentient virus that threatens to destroy human lives and disrupt global economies, the idea of dystopian horror on television seems tame and ultimately not enough to scare us anymore (which in turn makes us disinterested in it). But two science fiction shows in 2020 have made a rather interesting choice of going in a direction that has been less explored.

Alex Garlands Devs, and Jonathan Noland and Lisa Joys Westworld Season 3 paint the picture of a predictable human world sans free will. In the former, we have a man (Nick Offerman) who believes in the principle of determinism to such a degree that he uses all his resources to develop a system of quantum computing that would help predict human behavior. What he chooses to do with such a technology is unclear so far (the show has reached its midseason mark).

In the latter, a company called Incite has already developed a piece of tech called Rehoboam that has changed how humans function. The system is at the core of how the world is run and it poses a threat to anyone who chooses to exercise free will.

Free will can easily be considered the final bastion for humans under a global capitalist system where there are few forms of ethical consumption. Free will is what keeps people going as they, like the Hosts in Westworld, keep on repeating their actions in an untiring loop. But even as the two shows demonstrate the inherent dangers of this deterministic system, are there any differences between how they are proposed?

Vincent Cassels character in Westworld, Incite co-founder Serac told Maeve (Thandie Newton) in episode 2, Our history is like the ravings of a lunatic -- chaos. But weve changed that. For the first time history has an author, a system.

This system has been fed every action of each person on Earth and it uses algorithms to play out the most likely path for each life born into this world. But it doesn't just predict the future, It makes choices for those it calculates will live worthy lives. In short, Rehoboam controls every human life. In the real world of Westworld, there no longer exists free will, save the unpredictable divergence in the form of Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood). Rehoboams self-fulfilling prophecies dictate everything, starting from ones relationships to ones career to their deaths.

Devs too is preoccupied with determinism, and how human behavior can be calculated with code. Garland explained the concept of a deterministic universe at the New York Comic-Con last year: "Where you and I are concerned, the most significant thing in some respects is that we stop having free will. So when you make a decision, you feel, 'OK, I made this decision for my own reasons, because I woke up this morning and felt like having a cup of coffee.' But if you unraveled everything about you, about the specifics, the constructions of your brain, about why you prefer coffee to tea, and you keep going into a not infinite but a near-infinite amount of detail, then five seconds before you say, 'I would like to have a cup of coffee,' one would be able to predict that is exactly what you would do at that moment."

Both shows mull over the anxieties of the lack of free will. In episode 4 of Devs, we saw Forest (Offerman) wondering if they should have the power they have, even likening it to magic. But thats where the difference between the two shows lie.

One show battles with the angst of the possibility of a world sans free will (while reminding us that if the principle of causal determinism is to be believed, it is already bereft of that). The other, Westworld, ups the ante and showcases a world where technology simulates human lives and then decides for them what they should do, stripping them of even the idea of that (but only in practicality, for the humans remain utterly ignorant of such puppeteering). The difference is, as of yet, only of intent. In both shows, the fear of the lack of free will is discernible.

Devs drops on FX on Hulu, every Thursday at 12 am. The next episode of 'Westworld' airs April 5, on HBO.

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'Devs' vs 'Westworld': While both obsess over lack of free will, HBO's show displays its real-world effects - MEAWW

Human Behavior

15 Professional Coaches Share The Most Rewarding Aspect Of Their Careers – Forbes

Joining the coaching field can be an incredibly rewarding career choice. As a coach, you'll work with clients on their personal and/or professional problem areas and empower them to find their ideal path forward.

If youre considering a career in coaching, it may help to know some of the incredible perks of this field. We asked a panel of Forbes Coaches Council members to share their favorite parts about being a coach. Here's what they love about their jobs, and why they think others should pursue coaching as a career.

Forbes Coaches Council members share their favorite parts of their career.

1. Watching Someone Achieve Their Goals

I love coaching high-achieving executives because it's so rewarding to co-create an outcome with a client. As a coach, I help clients gain clarity and stay accountable while the client, if they are truly seeking behavior change and progress, uses the time to move a challenging situation forward or bring a critical goal to fruition. - Sarah Beth Aubrey, Aubrey's Coaching & Training

2. Learning From And Coaching Others

One of the greatest joys in life has been finding opportunities to both learn from and coach and mentor others. This can happen in nearly all professional settings and roles. It is something special to help another person look deep inside themselves, discover a previously unknown strength or tap into unique potential and then grow and develop into someone who can pay it forward to help others! - Jonathan H. Westover, Ph.D, Utah Valley University & Human Capital Innovations, LLC

3. Seeing Someone's Success

Coaching executives and businesspeople is a joy every single day. I have strong values of learning and contribution. I love continually learning about human behavior and change, and how that can help my clients. It's so rewarding to see clients grow, change and get unstuck. It's a helping profession, and a perfect fit for those who value giving back and making a difference in peoples lives. - Susan Sadler, Sadler Communications LLC

4. Raising Consciousness And Confidence

Being in the coaching conversation is my favorite part of being a coach. Raising consciousness and confidence by listening attentively and asking powerful questions can only be achieved when the coach is totally present, not thinking about the past or trying to predict the future. If you can listen attentively and create space for clients to give voice to their thoughts, you will love coaching. - Paul Ward, The Global Centre for Conscious Leadership

5. Hearing About How You Encouraged Someone

When someone tells me or one of my team directly that we were integral in encouraging them at a tough time in their professional life it is moving to me. I don't expect it, but I know I did not get into what I am doing to never hear those words. I don'tand you shouldn'tever underestimate coaching or the power of encouragement in people's lives. Done sincerely, it makes a big difference. - John M. O'Connor, Career Pro Inc.

6. Unlocking Human Potential

Coaching provides the opportunity and privilege to empower others to unlock their full potential through intentional self-reflection, deliberate exploration and focused action. My favorite part of coaching is when that "aha moment" happens and my clients start moving with clarity, focus and purpose. It's a rewarding profession and requires a commitment to others, connection and curiosity. - Dennis Volpe, LRI

7. Helping People Change

I find great joy in helping people learn to make behavioral changes that positively impact their lives. I'm a change scholar and expert, and I've found that most people are fearful of change, yet it can be so exciting if they look at it as a positive challenge that can be overcome. It brings immense satisfaction for me when people embrace the joy that comes from becoming better and stronger. - Susan Madsen, Utah Valley University & Madsen Global Leadership

8. Partnering With A Client To Understand Their Innate Nature

To be able to partner with others to understand their innate nature and live it fully in a way that supports their dreams, goals and aspirations while having a very positive impact at work and home is an amazing gift. I am fortunate to work with people who are focused on being their best self in all areas of their life. They understand that stretching themselves sets them up for uncommon success. - Bobbie Goheen, Synthesis Management Group

9. Adding Value To Others' Lives

The best part of coaching is the opportunity to add value to others. Of the coaches I know, they would agree that the best reason for being a coach is the chance to come alongside someone and hold open a door of creativity and exploration in a safe space. The client always knows what they wantour job is to be their strategic thinking partner so they can find it. The reward is seeing someone succeed. - Dr. Teresa Ray, PCC, Dr. Teresa Ray

10. Witnessing 'Aha' Moments

As an executive coach, I absolutely am thrilled when I witness my clients have aha moments during the coaching engagement. Seeing their eyes light up after weeks of churning with an urgent challenge just makes my day. Many people call themselves coaches, but I encourage anyone considering it as a profession to be sure to research it deeply and get credentialed. It is still hard work, but fun! - Karan Rhodes, Shockingly Different Leadership

11. Connecting On A Deeper Level

Coaching cuts to the heart of the matter. Even when working with executive clients, exploring inner blocks means diving deep into emotions, thoughts and limiting beliefs. In many cases, you are connecting with them in ways others never have. It's rewarding work to see a client resolve something that's been holding them back for years and knowing you helped get them there. - Cheryl Czach, Cheryl Czach Coaching and Consulting, LLC

12. Creating What's Possible

With all the advances in knowledge of quantum physics, epigenetics and neuroplasticity, coaching now offers clients a platform to truly activate the human potential and create from the realm of possibility, instead of what's predictable and realistic. It's not a career for everyone, but for those who are called to it, coaching is a deeply fulfilling vocation with plenty of opportunities for specialization. - Ashley Good, Ashley Good Coaching & Consulting

13. Seeing Growth

Working with and learning from organizations of all sizes and types is rewarding in and of itself, but it's all made worth it when those companies actually start to see growth. My life's work revolves around successfully scaling businesses, so nothing gets me more excited than an organization moving the needle. Having this positive impact is the main reason to get into coachingit's so fulfilling. - Andy Bailey, Petra Coach

14. Having Shared Authenticity

We all wear so many masks that it's often difficult to connect with people on a deeper level. The coaching dynamic insists upon authenticity. Growth can only be made through honesty and soul struggle. It allows and creates a professional intimacy, where the client can truly feel seen and known. - Dan Messinger, Cream of the Crop Leaders

15. Pushing Others To Greatness

My favorite part of being a coach is pushing people to a level of greatness that they couldn't get to without me. I look at every client as a ball of potential that I get the honor of helping mold. You should consider becoming a coach if you are passionate about helping others reach their full potential. - Pasha Carter, The VIP Network

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15 Professional Coaches Share The Most Rewarding Aspect Of Their Careers - Forbes

Human Behavior

Letters: We need to get out more but alone – The Durango Herald

Now more than ever, we need to be in nature to be healthy. There is plenty of historical, medical, observational and anecdotal evidence about this. I should know, I wrote my dissertation about it.

I am an assistant professor of public health at Fort Lewis College, and I study how human behavior affects health. I am also a former park ranger, and so I know as many Durangoans know that getting outside is great for my mental, physical and spiritual health.

And until recently, it was also good for my social health, connecting with friends by doing outdoor activities.

But with the outbreak of COVID-19, now is the time to go outside on your own. I know it seems trivial and that you can maintain six feet apart while outside but now is not the time to risk it.

We are social beings, and most social contact happens without you realizing it. Also, you are most likely to transmit the virus before you show symptoms.

While Im heartened to see so many take to the outdoors to keep healthy during this time, I am both saddened and upset to see so many groups of people doing it together. Public health only works if we take necessary measures before they seem necessary.

If it works, it will look like we overreacted. That is our goal.

Please, please, continue to go outside, just do it alone.

Sara NewmanDurango

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Letters: We need to get out more but alone - The Durango Herald

Human Behavior

Donald Trump: Stay home through April 30 – Washington Times

President Trump, speaking in unusually somber tones, told Americans on Tuesday to brace for a very, very painful two weeks and begged them to stay at home as much as possible through April 30, saying 100,000 to 200,000 people could die from COVID-19 despite his teams best efforts to fight the coronavirus and that they want to depress that number.

Mr. Trump wanted to get the nation raring to go by Easter, but sobering models forced him to reverse course and plead with people to work and learn at home, avoid nonessential travel and stay out of restaurants for additional weeks.

I want every American to be prepared for the hard days that lie ahead, Mr. Trump said at the White House.

The president called for sacrifices as his coronavirus task force said the virus could kill far more Americans than car crashes or influenza do each year.

As sobering a number as it is, we should be prepared for it, said Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Administration officials said the models are guided by epidemiology but arent gospel. Actual outcomes will be guided by human behavior.

Social distancing, a term that has become part of the lexicon, is going to be the answer to our problems, Dr. Fauci said.

Mr. Trump said social distancing is working, noting up to 2 million people might have died had the nation done nothing.

A hundred thousand is, according to modeling, a very low number, Mr. Trump said. I think were doing better than that.

Still, the estimates are sobering the notion of 100,000 to 200,000 fatalities is double, triple or multitudes more than the number of deaths the U.S. would typically see from influenza and pneumonia in a given year.

Mr. Trump is contending with the fallout in a year in which he hoped to ride economic optimism to reelection in November.

Its a matter of life and death, frankly, its a matter of life and death, the president said. We had the greatest economy in the world. We had the best unemployment and employment numbers by far.

The sober tone is a turnabout for Mr. Trump, who one week ago pressed to open up businesses, noting the nation doesnt shut down for other drivers of death.

We lose thousands of people a year to the flu. We never turn the country off. We lose much more than that to automobile accidents. We didnt call up the automobile companies and say, stop making cars. We dont want any cars any more, he told a Fox News virtual town hall on March 24.

Influenza kills from 12,000 to 61,000 people in the U.S. per year, while car crashes kill roughly 35,000 to 40,000, according to federal data.

Estimated COVID-19 deaths dont come close to the annual U.S. death toll from heart disease or cancer, each of which kills roughly 600,000 to 650,000 per year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Still, the daunting COVID-19 estimate exceeds annual suicides, at 47,000, or deaths from diabetes, at more than 80,000.

The pandemic has hit Americans unevenly, with some unable to make mortgage and rent payments and tapping food banks while others are revving up Netflix and waiting to see whether they take a hit.

The president said everyone needs to do their part, as health care workers brave the worst.

Its like military people going into battle, going into war, Mr. Trump said. The bravery is incredible. You have lots of things flying around in the air. You dont know what youre touching, is it safe. Things are happening that weve never seen before in this country.

The coronavirus was discovered in Wuhan, China, in December. It killed thousands in East Asia before the epicenter shifted to Europe and the Americas.

The U.S. has recorded the most infections in the world, with more than 185,000 and its death toll of over 3,800 exceeds that of Chinas, although many doubt the official numbers from Beijing. Recoveries in the U.S. total more than 6,900, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker.

Everyday life has been turned on its head. Parents are juggling telework with home-school duties, churches are streaming their services on YouTube, and restaurants and department stores are furloughing workers en masse, as governors tell retailers to close their doors unless they offer necessities such as food, gasoline or medicine.

Dr. Deborah Birx, the U.S. coronavirus response coordinator, told Americans to stay the course, noting that Washington state appeared to flatten the increase in cases by keeping people far apart.

Washington saw the worst of the pandemic early on, though the U.S. epicenter is in New York.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, said his state now has more than 75,000 coronavirus cases and 1,550 coronavirus-related deaths easily the most of any state in the country.

Mr. Cuomo acknowledged that everyone wants the crisis to be over, but that nobody knows when that will be.

It is not going to be soon, he said.

New York City has been hit the hardest, with more than 40,000 cases.

The governor said public and private hospitals in New York need to start coordinating more closely amid reports of facilities that are nearing or at capacity and that are suffering from stressed, overworked employees.

He said private hospitals in the state have to help the public ones.

When they get up near capacity transfer patients. Elmhurst got up to capacity, you had other public hospitals that had open beds, he said at his daily briefing on the outbreak.

Elmhurst Hospital in Queens has become symbolic of the strained system. Mr. Trump recently described seeing haunting images of body bags being hauled out of the facility, which is near his native home.

The crisis is hitting close to home for the New York governor. His brother, CNN host Chris Cuomo, said Tuesday he tested positive for the virus but said he will do his show from the basement of his family home.

New Jersey has the second-worst death toll, at nearly 270, while Michigan has emerged as a worry spot, with nearly 6,500 cases and almost 200 deaths.

Elsewhere, Louisiana reported 1,200 new cases in a single day raising its total to more than 5,000 while the D.C. mayor and governors in Maryland and Virginia issued stay-at-home orders this week, citing fears their hospitals will be overwhelmed.

Dave Boyer and James Varney contributed to this report.

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Donald Trump: Stay home through April 30 - Washington Times

Human Behavior

Can Better Airplane Boarding Procedures Slow the Spread of Coronavirus? – Defense One

A new computer model offers a better way to understand how people move in tight spaces, which can affect how viruses spread.

Could changing the way people move and congregate in cramped places like ships or planes help to curb the spread of COVID-19? Health experts have recommended that people maintain a distance of six feet from strangers in order to avoid contracting the deadly disease. But physical distancing is nearly impossible in some instances, like getting on a plane or being aboard a ship. A group of Florida researchers have developed a computer model to help determine how people move in these very small spaces, which managers can then use to change procedures to limitspread.

On airliners, says Ashok Srinivasan, a University of West Florida professor, aerosolized infections like SARS or COVID-19 tend to have a limited spread: two rows in front and two rows behind the sick passenger. But sometimes one super-spreading passenger can sicken more than half of the plane. More than half of the cases of SARS contracted aboard airplanes occurred thisway.

One might be tempted to look at this outbreak as an outlier. But the outlier had the most impact, Srinivasan told the Texas Advanced Computer Center. Thats why modeling how quickly people tend to board planes and ships, and how long they have to stand next to people in close quarters, can help make those processessafer.

In a March 5 paper for the journal PLoS ONE, Srinivasan and his fellow researchers describe a new model that they call Constrained Linear Movement Model, or CALM, which can be used to compare various ways that people move in tight spaces,such as everyone being told to board with their zone. They claim that it works more quickly and accurately than the model currently used by the academic community, called Self Propelled Entity Dynamics, orSPED.

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CALM, the researchers write, is designed to simulate movement in narrow, linear, passageways, such as inside airplanes. Our results show that CALM performs almost 60 times faster than the SPED model. Apart from this performance gain, we have modeled additional behavioral features of pedestrians. Therefore, the CALM model can overcome the limitations of SPED in a decision support context where real time results are required, theywrite.

The model doesnt tell you who will get sick, but it does tell you how long people might be stuck next to each other in a given situation, such as waiting to enter a food hall, waiting to board or deboard a plane,etc.

To verify the model, they measured it against real-world data on plane boarding and deboarding times and then ran more than 1,000 simulations on the Frontera supercomputer at the Texas Advanced ComputerCenter.

To address the uncertainty in human behavior, we define parameters in the model (like the maximum speed of each individual) that represent the sources of uncertainty. Then we find an acceptable range of values for each parameter (usually based on empirical data) and sweep the resulting parameter space by running several simulations. This imposes a substantial computational overhead on the application, with help from supercomputer to make it possible to run the same code with only slight variations in the parameters of the problem, also called parallel parameter sweeping, they were able to speed up the simulations to the point where it could actually be useful for civilian managers trying to plan in emergency meetings. We can perform 2000 simulations in less than 5 minutes, Mehran Sadeghi Lahijani, a Ph.D student in the Department of Computer Science at Florida State University and one of the authors of the paper told Defense One in anemail.

The formula could be useful for modifying boarding procedures for passenger aircraft or, with some modification, potentially for modeling virus transmission onships.

We have designed the model for simulating crowd movement in constrained places. We have used it for disembarkation and boarding in airplanes and we believe it can be used in any similar applications with proper input files and small changes in the code, saidLahijani.

The U.S. Navy is currently grappling with trying to slow the spread of the illness on its ships. Aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, an aircraft carrier currently docked in Guam, the The spread of the disease is ongoing and accelerating, its commander wrote in an extraordinary March 30 letter asking for Navy help in finding rooms ashore where he can quarantine COVID-sickened sailors. The carrier has been docked in Guam since last week, when several of its roughly 4,000 embarked sailors testedpositive.

The main problem, Capt. Brett Crozier wrote in the letter, is that a warship is all tight spaces, with no way to provide separate berths and bathroom for infectedsailors.

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Can Better Airplane Boarding Procedures Slow the Spread of Coronavirus? - Defense One

Human Behavior

Digimind Offers Free Access to its Solution to Help NGOs and Governments Manage the COVID-19 Crisis – Yahoo Finance

NGOs, government entities, research laboratories and media eligible for free access to the Digimind platform to help them monitor social media, analyze and report during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Digimind, the leading market intelligence and social listening platform, today announced that it is helping non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government and research entities [*] as well as media [**] monitor and report during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing free access to its platform.

"In a crisis like the one humanity is facing today, our mission is important. Being able to cut the clutter is of the utmost importance when the impact of information on human behavior is so critical. It is a staunch reminder of Digiminds mission since its inception: helping our community to understand the world as it is, to understand what is truly happening, and the fight for the truth. Of course, we are not in the front line as medical staff and crisis relief organizations can be, but we have a role to play. We can help. This is why we are offering free access to the Digimind platform to NGOs and media who are actively involved in the COVID-19 crisis," said Paul Vivant, co-founder and CEO of Digimind.

Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, the volume of conversations about COVID-19 has reached unprecedented levels on the web and social media with dozens of millions of mentions every single day. Collecting and filtering such amounts of unstructured data requires enterprise-grade algorithms and computing power that most NGOs dont have access to. The Digimind platform will help NGOs crunch these massive amounts of data, and analyze them using Digiminds unique and simple 5W grid: What, When, Where, Who and How.

This COVID-19 initiative is part of the wider Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program of Digimind, providing preferential access to its industry-leading solutions for non-profit, educational and media organizations, and helping them understand the world as it is.

This offer is available worldwide for eligible organizations:

[*] NGOs, governments and research entities can request information about the conditions of the offer and submit their application at covid19-support@digimind.com.

[**] Media can request their free Digimind Buzz Insights account at https://www.digimind.com/buzz-insights-for-journalists.

About Digimind

Digimind is the most trusted AI-powered social media listening and competitive intelligence software, designed for brands and agencies who want to accelerate digital transformation through an insights-driven approach. Recognized by Forrester and Gartner, Digiminds best-in-class technology transforms social and online data into actionable business insights, enabling marketers to effectively plan, execute, and analyze their marketing strategy.

Founded in 1998, Digimind is headquartered in New York, Paris, Singapore, Madrid, Buenos Aires and Rabat, serving more than 600 customers worldwide. Learn more at http://www.digimind.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200331005665/en/

Contacts

Aurelien Blaha, CMO | aurelien.blaha@digimind.com

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Digimind Offers Free Access to its Solution to Help NGOs and Governments Manage the COVID-19 Crisis - Yahoo Finance