Friday, October 30, 2020
My head is absolutely spinning with everything that’s happened in the last week. And, the only news that seems to make any of the headlines are US politics and the Corona Virus. So, I’ll avoid talking about that.
In Panama, the beaches opened, but not without a few unpleasant consequences. MINSA and the police will be doing random health inspections on the beaches, demanding that people get tested for COVID, on the spot. Refusal to do so will result in being detained. Visits to the beach may only be done in groups comprised only of your immediate family “bubble”. That means, only those in your household can go to the beach together. You and I already know that this is going to be violated over and over again. The police will be better off to just turn a blind eye to this one or “Juez de Paz” in Cocle is going to be overflowing with ornery beach bums. So guess who aint goin to no damn beaches for a while? That’s right, me!
Just the same, business is picking up for us and that’s actually taken me away from writing. I set a goal of 4,000 words per week towards a book I’m trying to get started and in my first week I was only able to jot down a little over 3,000. I’ll have to pick up that slack during the course of the following week, which has oodles of holidays mixed into it.
What’s the book about? Well, I wasn’t certain of the direction of the book, the day I sat to write it. First of all, it’s fiction, but it’s based on a few cases that I’ve conducted over the past 30 years. It’s taking our established hero, from his humble, humdrum day-to-day life of today, shows him daydreaming a bit on past events and will eventually turn his world upside down as he works his way through what should have been a normal case. They say that you should be careful about what you’re looking for, because you may just find it. Well, this is one of those story lines. I’m very excited about how it’s going so far, so I won’t spoil it for anyone by giving out too many details. Queen Sayira has actually already scolded me about having told anyone that I’m writing. “Keep it a secret, you dummy!”, she warmly suggested. But the cat was already out of the bag as of last week. Telling you here, again, is mostly just so I can taunt the Queen further.
Have a great weekend. For those of you US Citizens reading this, if you haven’t voted already, but still can, get out there and do it! Regardless of who wins, it would really be great to see record-shattering turn outs this year. There’s a lot at stake and every vote does count. The only vote that doesn’t count is the vote not cast.
TOP NEWS and TIDBITS
Yoli’s Wisdom
Preventive measures against Covid-19 are essential when it comes to avoiding possible contagion and infection. Both regular hand hygiene and the use of a mask is a must for all people, however, there are people who overlook the fact that the virus can remain active in different places and surfaces.
Beware of bills or smartphones
There are a series of studies that have concluded that the Covid-19 virus can remain active for almost a month, on various surfaces such as mobile phones, banknotes or glass. Studies show that the activity of the virus is highly dependent on temperature.
At a higher temperature the effectiveness of the virus is lost, while if it is very low, the aforementioned virus can be present for almost a month.
COTTON CLOTHES
Recent studies by Australian researchers also point out that Covid-19 lives much less time on clothing as is the case with cotton. At a temperature of about 20 degrees the virus remains active for at most two weeks. Hence the importance of washing clothes at least 60 degrees and killing the possible virus in this way.
SKIN
In the case of the skin, the virus can be effective for at least 9 hours. This differentiates it from the famous influenza virus. That is why one of the best measures to avoid any possible contagion is to maintain continuous hand hygiene. Washing the whole body frequently and every day is also important to avoid possible infections of the aforementioned virus.
MASKS
Masks are key when it comes to avoiding possible infections, but you have to be very careful with them. In the case of surgical masks, there may be traces of coronavirus after a week. Given this, it is important to dispose of them especially if the temperature is not very high and their use is excessive.
AIR
The latest studies have come to verify that the virus could be transmitted through the air. Specifically, it has been proven that the aforementioned virus could remain suspended in the air for up to 3 hours. Apart from the transmission proven by the droplets that are expelled at the time of talking or coughing, the contagion could also occur through aerosols.
This has led to the WHO being able to warn that Covid-19 could be transmitted through the air itself, so much more measures would have to be taken. This suggests that in addition to the measures known to all, such as washing hands well as many times as necessary and wearing the mask in public spaces, it is essential to ventilate closed spaces well, especially when there is a large concentration of people. With ventilation, the air is renewed and eliminates the different particles that may remain and cause some type of contagion.
As you can see, any measure is necessary to stop the aforementioned virus. It has been shown that in addition to the expelled droplets, there are other ways of contagion since the virus can become active on different surfaces such as mobile phones or the masks themselves. You have to be very careful and follow all the advice indicated by the different authorities and thus avoid being infected.
AGREEMENT TO EXTEND THE MORATORIUM UNTIL JUNE 30, 2021 IS SIGNED
The Panamanian president, Laurentino Cortizo and directors of the Superintendency of Banks of Panama signed an agreement this Thursday, October 22, 2020, by which the moratorium period for the payment of loans is extended until June 30, 2021.
The moratorium law applicable to both banks, as well as financial institutions and cooperatives sanctioned by Cortizo last July, established a deadline until December 31, 2020.
Given the expiration of this law, the new banking agreement will take effect on January 1, 2021.
The measure seeks to provide financial relief to people economically affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Cortizo explained that people whose income is still affected by the crisis will be able to reschedule with the banks the payment of their obligations.
“I am pleased to announce that, in response to the concerns of Panamanians, the Superintendency of Banks today dictates a banking agreement that establishes the extension of the moratorium until June 30, 2021, ” said Cortizo.
During that period, said the head of state, the banks will not execute the guarantees or affect the credit references of those who have modified their loans.
The modification agreement allows banks and clients to continue making the necessary modifications to maintain a viable and sustainable credit relationship.
The modifications may include the granting of grace periods, depending on the new payment capacity of each client, extensions of the maturity of the loans, adjustments to the letter or monthly installment, among other options.
The Presidency stressed that the agreement signed is an additional period of six months, in which banks and clients will be able to agree on new terms and conditions based on their new payment capacity or their current economic situation, and that it should not be understood as debt forgiveness.
Moratoria se extiende hasta el 30 de junio de 2021
TAXIS WILL BE ABLE TO CIRCULATE ON SUNDAYS, REGARDLESS OF THE FINAL DIGIT OF THEIR PLATE
All vehicles dedicated to providing selective transportation service or taxis, may circulate on Sundays regardless of the final number of their license plate, reported the Transit and Land Transportation Authority (ATTT).
The entity communicated that from Monday to Saturday the system of par or non-valid that allows the circulation of taxis, depending on the last digit of the plate, will be maintained from 5:00 am to 12:00 pm.
On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, vehicles with plates ending in numbers: 1,3,5,7 and 9 will circulate; While on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays the vehicles with plates ending in the numbers: 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 will do so.
The collective sector may circulate from Monday to Sunday from 5:00 am to 12:00 pm.
The measure to enable Sundays for the movement of passenger transport, is in compliance with the guidelines given by the Ministry of Health that ordered the lifting of the total quarantine on Sundays.
The ATTT recalled that every vehicle that provides passenger transport service must have an operation certificate.
If not, it will be sanctioned according to what is established in articles 241 and 250 of the Traffic Regulations relating to “piracy”.
Taxis podrán circular los domingos, sin importar el dígito final de su placa
TO IMPLEMENT CONTROL POINTS AND EXPRESS SWABS IN PANAMA WEST BEFORE THE REOPENING OF BEACHES
Before the reopening of the beaches starting tomorrow, Saturday, October 24, the director of Health of Panama Oeste, announced that a series of measures will be implemented to guarantee compliance with the established regulations.
“There are people who are not going to be able to go to the beaches, they are people who have COVID-19 and who, although they have no symptoms but have already been diagnosed as COVID-19, have to stay in their homes in isolation, the Another group of people who are not going to be able to go to the beaches are their contacts and those who intend to go irresponsibly and drink alcohol ”, explained Cedeño.
Among the actions to be carried out, he mentioned the installation of checkpoints and the verification of people to guarantee that they are not COVID-19 patients, nor contacts.
“We have established strategies through the Joint Task Force, the first one is the containment of unauthorized vehicles, it means that at our checkpoints we are going to stop those vehicles, small buses, pirates and others whose occupants are not part of the the family bubble, another point for the containment of people is at the beach entrances, there will be a health team together with the Sinaproc and the National Police that we will verify if they are really patients registered in our database as COVID- 19 assets and also their contacts ”, he explained.
He added that in addition, an express swab station will be installed at the control points in which people will be randomly swabbing.
“Mainly taking into account that, in endemic areas such as North Panama, East Panama and the Metropolitan region, the number of cases has increased, so under that premise we will randomly swab the people who come from those places,” he said.
In the beach area, points will be established by means of a pole or a pole, so that the familiar bubbles are, with a distance of four meters between each point. In this space, people can be without a mask, as well as when entering the water, however, when leaving the family bubble, the use of a mask will be mandatory.
Cedeño added that the managers of the local health centers have been instructed to impose onerous fines for those who fail to comply with the established decrees, and the justices of the peace and compliance will be monitoring this process.
Implementarán puntos de control e hisopado express en Panamá Oeste ante reapertura de playas
PLASMA TRANSFUSION OF RECOVERED COVID-19 PATIENTS HAS LIMITED EFFECTIVENESS, STUDY FOUND
Transfusion of plasma with antibodies to COVID-19 patients does not reduce the chances of getting worse or dying, according to a study carried out in India and published on Friday, although those responsible for other projects of this type in progress, disagree.
With a currently very limited palette of treatments against the new coronavirus as research continues to find a new vaccine, the first results of clinical trials aimed at evaluating the effects of a transfusion of plasma – the liquid part of blood that concentrates antibodies after an illness -, a method authorized in countries like India or the United States, does not allow us to harbor much hope.
“Convalescent plasma (from Covid) has shown limited efficacy” in treating new patients with moderate forms of the disease, according to the study conducted in India and published in the medical journal BMJ, which nonetheless urges new studies concentrating on plasma containing high levels of neutralizing antibodies. According to some studies, the transfusion of plasma from people with antibodies is effective in treating Ebola or SARS, which is in the same family as the new coronavirus.
Although in the case of covid-19, recent studies had suggested a possible efficacy of plasma. But in this clinical trial, conducted with patients chosen by lottery at dozens of public and private hospitals in India, researchers have found that this method has not reduced mortality or prevented moderate patients from worsening.
The study, funded by the Indian Council for Medical Research, recruited 464 adult patients, with an average age of 52 years, between April and July and randomly separated them into two groups.
A group of 229 patients received the usual care, while another 235 patients received convalescent plasma transfusions in addition to the usual treatment. After 28 days, 44 participants (19%) in the plasma group and 41 (18%) in the other group developed a severe form of the disease or died.
Instead, according to the study, plasma transfusions helped improve breathing difficulties and fatigue, while the virus was often less detectable after seven days. This trial was “rigorous,” says public health specialist Elizabeth Pathak in a comment posted by BMJ. But Britain’s National Health Service, which runs the same type of plasma assay, was cautious, noting that the Indian trial had used plasma that contained 6 to 10 times fewer antibodies than those collected in the UK.
“There are other promising elements that indicate that convalescent plasma with high levels of antibodies could improve the lot of patients,” she said.
Mundo Moderna concluye la inscripción de 30 mil personas para prueba de su vacuna
DEBT STRAINS WORKERS’ REACTIVATION
In difficult times, the reactivation of construction is required, which generates jobs and other actors arise because the production of cement is also activated, as well as construction materials, that is, it is revitalized and another would be the agricultural sector which has been maintained, he said. the economist Juan Jované.
Jované indicated that the debt to suppliers by the State, which is estimated to be more than 200 million, it is necessary to face it because this segment of construction must move, which is very important for the reactivation and for the country.
“The one who builds has commitments with the bank and needs to recover the money to be able to continue in the activity, so I believe that the Government must fulfill its commitments primarily in these sectors that generate employment,” said the economist.
For his part, the economist Felipe Argote regretted that the State owes suppliers, which keeps the construction sector slow.
“We do not understand the lack of a planned system so that payments can be made on time to nurses or doctors, for example,” he said.
The leader of the Single Union of Construction Workers (Suntracs), Saúl Méndez, denounced that, despite the reopening of the construction sector, on October 7 through executive decree 1036, projects that are built with the state.
Méndez added that the Ministry of Labor and Labor Welfare in an arbitrary, illegal and irresponsible manner has been authorizing the suspension of contracts to construction workers or some construction companies without due process, without transferring the union, which reflects the policy they apply. the authorities to turn their backs on the workers and defend the interests of the company.
For his part, the vice minister of labor, Roger Tejada said that the reactivations are gradual and have been concentrated in restaurants, hotels and retail stores to reach 100,000 workers reactivated by the end of the month.
Tejada revealed that, in relation to pending payments, the issue has already been raised with the Comptroller’s Office.
Deuda frena la reactivación obrera
PANAMA MIGRATES TO A THIRD GENERATION OF COVID-19 TESTS
The Panamanian health system is launching a third generation of COVID-19 tests, to deal with infections and prevent a possible outbreak, in the midst of the process of reopening economic and recreational activities in the country.
This is the Sofia SARS test, which consists of a superficial swab, less uncomfortable for the patient and the results are obtained in approximately 15 minutes, explained the Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, this Friday.
The Sofia SARS test, which was authorized by the Health authorities, is already being implemented in the sanitary control of the Tocumen International Airport, after the opening of international flights.
After the first cases were detected in Panama in mid-March, the Panamanian authorities implemented the massive application of tests that began with the PCR test, the best at the time, according to the Health Minister, which lasted about three hours to obtain the results and the average process time was two to three days.
Later, the Health authorities migrated to the antigen test, which is rapid, with results in an average time of 20 to 30 minutes.
The Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre warns that 30% of those infected are asymptomatic, highlighting the need to strengthen the traceability process.
From March to October 22, a total of 607,766 COVID-19 tests have been applied in Panama, according to the epidemiological report of the Ministry of Health (Minsa).
On average, 142,051 tests are applied in Panama per million inhabitants, 14,205 per 100,000 inhabitants.
On October 21, the health authorities broke the record in the number of daily COVID-19 tests applied, with more than 8 thousand, however, the Minister of Health, Eyra Ruiz, has stated as a goal, to reach the 10 thousand tests daily.
Panamá migra a una tercera generación de pruebas COVID-19
THE GOVERNMENT OF PANAMA WILL EXTEND THE PANAMA SOLIDARITY PLAN UNTIL JUNE 2021
The President of the Republic, Laurentino Cortizo Cohen during a work tour of Azuero, reported that the Government will continue to provide the population affected by covid-19 the digital voucher and mega bags.
“Panamanians who do not worry” will continue to deliver the Digital Voucher through the personal identity card and mega food bags, the president stressed.
Last week the Cabinet Council approved $ 255 million to cover the costs of the Panama Solidario Plan for November and December 2020, but the ruler indicated that until June 2021 his administration will continue to deliver these aid to those most affected by the pandemic.
Through the Panama Solidario Plan, the administration of President Cortizo Cohen has provided aid such as food bags, physical vouchers and digital vouchers worth $ 100 to more than 1.7 million to the most vulnerable socially and economically affected by the pandemic.
Gobierno de Panamá extenderá el Plan Panamá Solidario hasta junio de 2021
“RESTAURANTS AND SHOPS INCREASE SALES IN THE CASCO ANTIGUO”, ACCORDING TO THE TOURISM AUTHORITY
The Panama Tourism Authority (ATP) reported that, as of the week of October 26, the hours of cultural events and pedestrian streets will be from Tuesday to Sunday, from 4:00 p.m. at 11:00 p.m.
A survey carried out by the Creative Economy Directorate of the Ministry of Culture to the businesses of the Old Town to measure the first two weeks of the Reactivation Plan revealed that, on average, 10 jobs were reactivated per business.
In total, 780 jobs were reactivated in the first two weeks in restaurants, cafes, ice cream parlors and other businesses stationed in that tourist area.
30% of the business owners surveyed said that the impact on increased sales was 10%; 13.3% indicated that it ranged between 20 and 30%; 16.7%, which reached between 10 and 20% and another 16.7%, which was more than 30%.
While 23.3% indicated that to date they had not registered any type of increase. Among the businesses surveyed, 73.1% were restaurants; 11.5%, cafeterias and ice cream parlors; and 15.4%, others.
This digital survey was carried out with restaurant managers, owners and managers of the 78 businesses that resumed activities through the Old Town Reactivation Plan, of which a total of 30 responded.
In a statement from the ATP, it is highlighted that the reopening of activities in the Old Town of Panama City has had a positive impact on the increase in sales and the reactivation of jobs, according to owners and managers of businesses located in said tourist area in which the National Government, through the Tourism Cabinet, launched at the end of last September a plan focused on the tourist reactivation of this post-Covid-19 sector for the period 2020-2021.
The tourist entity explains that since last September 28, a pedestrian area was established on Central Avenue and its surrounding streets, from Monday to Saturday, at 4:00 p.m. at 10:00 p.m., in principle for the quarantine on Sundays, to encourage the participation of tourists in the sector.
In addition, artistic and cultural presentations are held in the main squares. And for the comfort of tourists and visitors, more parking areas have been provided and security has been reinforced with more members of the security forces.
After lifting the quarantine on Sundays starting this October 25, the cultural and pedestrian streets plan was established from Tuesday to Sunday, from 4:00 p.m. at 11:00 p.m. New activities are added.
Visitors and tourists can download the first digital tourist route, La Ruta de las Iglesias Coloniales, by downloading the APP from the page micultura.gob.pa. This will be the first of four routes that will be available for free to visitors, so that they can travel to them and enjoy the attractions offered by the Old Town of the capital city.
While from the week of October 26, several museums will open their doors for free, including: the National Museum of History, the Museum of Colonial Religious Art, the Museum of the Order of La Merced, on Tuesdays to Sunday, from 10:00 am at 6:00 p.m.
The artisan market in Arco Chato is already operational from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. at 6:00 p.m., as well as the La Casa del Escritor bookstore, located on Calle III San Felipe, in the facilities of the Old Convent of Santo Domingo, and where award-winning Panamanian works are offered, both nationally and internationally.
“Restaurantes y comercios incrementan ventas en el Caso Antiguo”, según la Autoridad de Turismo
MINSA: REOPENING OF DIVERSE ACTIVITIES IN PANAMA HAVE NOT NEGATIVELY AFFECTED INDICES RELATED TO COVID-19
Despite the reopening of different activities, all the indexes related to COVID-19 are at an acceptable level, this was announced by the Ministry of Health (Minsa).
Israel Cedeño, director of the Metropolitan Health Region, said that according to the epidemiological curve since the pandemic began in Panama, even after the flexibility of the measures, including the lifting of the mobility restriction by gender and sex, a stable trend in cases.
In the week of October 5 to 11, there was a slight peak in cases, but even so, stability remains down, explained Israel Cedeño.
After the relaxation of the measures, there have been some peaks, Israel Cedeño said in terms of deaths, but it still remains down and has not returned to the high figures that were had in July.
According to the doctor, the number of cases hospitalized and in the Intensive Care Units (ICU), also remain below the averages despite the flexibilities.
The fatality rate is still below 3.0%, Cedeño said and currently stands at 2.0%.
As for positivity, it continues to decline, amid the number of tests that are done per day and that is increasing, explained the director of the Metropolitan Health Region.
For this week the (RT) or number of infections due to COVID-19 is at 0.92% with a slight decrease compared to last week which was at 1.02%.
MORE THAN $ 1 MILLION IN FINES FOR DEFAULT ON SALE OF MASKS AND CLEANING PRODUCTS
Most of the irregularities detected were due to the failure to present the corresponding invoices to verify the marketing margins and others for selling above the established margin of 15% for disposable masks and 23% for the other 10 personal hygiene products. and cleaning, such as: antibacterial, antimicrobial, alcoholic gel and bar and liquid soaps, among others.
Among the most sanctioned commercial premises, there are supermarkets with 89 sanctions for B /. 393,875.00; mini-super (157 for B /. 229,285.00); pharmacies (70 for B /. 182,000.00) and warehouses (46 penalties for B /. 164,625.00).
In addition, the fines applied for lack of price control of the 14 products of the basic food basket amount to 377 for a total amount of B /. 576,877.50 from January to date.
Acodeco must also verify Executive Decree No. 612 of May 8, 2020 (modified by Executive Decree 730 of June 18, 2020), which makes the sale of alcoholic beverages more flexible (sold in closed containers and in properly authorized).
THEY EAT, TALK AND EVEN SING ON THE BUSES
Despite the fact that some buses indicate that the passenger must not eat, speak and must maintain social distancing, in practice this is not done.
Some users, in the middle of a full bus, do not think twice about lowering their mask and consuming something, either to quench thirst or hunger.
Those who travel by public transport have witnessed this, where the fear of the virus is easily forgotten. In a tour that El Siglo took on the Panama-Vacamonte route, we witnessed how users buy water or sodas and drink them on the bus. Meanwhile, there are other users who talk on the phone or sing at the top of their lungs without a mask, regardless of the recommendations of the Ministry of Health (Minsa).
But this situation not only occurs in buses in the capital, but also in the interior of the country, and more so if they are on the Chiriquí and Santiago routes, which make stops for passengers to go to the bathroom, which is used by passengers to buy some food and consume it in transport to continue the journey.
These irregularities were also made known by Luis Torres, from the Transport Users Association, who denounced that there are passengers who are not afraid of the virus because no loved one has been infected. And not only do they eat on the buses, they also touch their masks after touching parts of the bus. “There are users who are not cautious, some do not even carry alcohol to clean their hands and protect themselves against the virus,” he said.
Nicomédez Aizpurua, from the Transit and Transportation Authority (ATTT), recalled that the use of masks is mandatory both outside and inside a bus, and in public transport you should not talk on the phone, much less have conversations or eat foods.
“It is important that users clean their hands before and after boarding public transport,” the official warned.
According to the director of the Metropolitan Health Region, Israel Cedeño, the Minsa has inspectors who board buses on different routes. By quantity obviously we cannot be in all of them at once, but when it rises we do teaching and promotion.
He explained that if a user is caught not complying, he can be sanctioned. This procedure is done through the health center and the fine can range from $ 10- $ 500. ‘It is what a health center director has authority. Sure, but for these types of breaches the penalty does not exceed $ 20, ‘the official explained.
According to Cedeño, no user has yet been fined, but there have been calls for attention and teaching. ‘Fortunately, the times that a situation like that has been encountered, the person accepts her mistake without problems. Usually we work like this, the intention is not to sanction, it is to educate. However, if the attitude of the person is inappropriate, rude or disrespectful, it will be punished or if it is a repeat offender, for example, the other passengers denounce it that they had been told before and they did not pay attention, ‘said the director.
Comen, conversan y hasta cantan en los buses
70% OF YOUNG PEOPLE WITHOUT COMORBIDITY AND WITH CONTINUOUS SYMPTOMS OF COVID HAVE AT LEAST ONE DAMAGED ORGAN AT 4 MONTHS
The coronavirus pandemic is causing serious health problems for those who contract the disease. Not all those who are infected have symptoms, and it is they who are suffering long-term consequences that can be very dangerous.
Among the most prominent symptoms are the loss of taste and smell. “That was the first sign that alerted us that the coronavirus could damage the nervous system,” says Sonia Villapol, principal investigator at the Houston Medical Institute.
This virus can reach the brain and affect the layer that protects the nerve endings, and lead to serious neurological problems, such as Parkinson’s, thrombi, cerebrovascular problems, multiple sclerosis, even Alzheimer’s, as Villapol herself explains in an interview in El Confidencial.
70% of asymptomatic patients have an organ affected four months after contracting the disease, also including neurological problems. Villapol clarifies that this 70% refers to “young people without vulnerabilities, but with continuous symptoms that they suffered some type of damage to one of the organs after four months of being infected with Covid-19.”
Covid-19 can damage tissues, even if they do not present symptoms.
Another symptom that has gone unnoticed is conjunctivitis. This eye problem has been suffered by 11% of patients.
Does it affect everyone equally?
Villapol assures that “we do not know if racial factors influence. Here (in the United States) the Covid affects more blacks and Hispanics and we believe that it is for socioeconomic reasons, but there may also be biological reasons. When the first data arrived from Italy, We saw that the inflammatory response was stronger in the Mediterranean population than in the Anglo-Saxon population due to a series of proteins. “
“In the US there is a lot of diabetes and obesity, which are factors that affect severity. Furthermore, it is very important to follow the sequencing data of the virus by country to see how it evolves and what type of mutations the virus is incorporating,” he adds.
And the brain?
“For years I have been researching molecules that are closely linked to the receptors for the entry of the virus into cells, the ACE2. Besides being in the respiratory system, the ACE2 receptors are also in the brain and this was a bit scary at first, when we started to see how the virus acted. In fact, the first symptoms are loss of taste and smell, and this is related to the nervous system. In addition, there are memory losses and disorientation, especially in patients who are in the ICU, obviously, but there is evidence that the virus could damage the brain “, says the researcher.
He adds that “regardless of the severity of the Covid, there are short-term effects such as headache and lack of concentration that are transitory, but we do not know if it could lead to something else in the future. Others are more worrying and may have serious consequences. Through the circulatory system, strokes occur due to the rupture of blood vessels in the brain. “
It also says that “there is an association of viral infectious diseases with longer-term problems, such as neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, but we will have to analyze this in a period of five or six years and see which patients arrive to develop these diseases. Probably, some will suffer them, but we cannot estimate now what percentage it is. “
Will cause neurodegenerative diseases
As to whether Covid could become a future cause of neurodegenerative diseases, the expert answers affirmatively. “Yes, it happens with other viral diseases and there are strong indications that make us think that there may be long-term effects related to neurodegeneration.”
Account that these sequels are already being verified. “In half of the autopsies of Covid patients, a ‘neuroinvasion’ has been seen, that is, viral particles have been found that had invaded neurons. In addition, there is also a loss of myelin, a layer that surrounds the neuron axons and that it serves to protect their connections. There have even been areas of the brain in which gray matter was reduced in recovered patients. There will be people who recover 100% and others who live with sequelae. “
Un 70% de los jóvenes sin comorbilidades y con síntomas continuos de Covid tienen al menos un órgano dañado a los 4 meses
GYM OWNERS AND COACHES PROTEST, DEMAND REOPENING
A group of gym owners and trainers protested the morning of this Monday, October 26, on the Cinta Costera, to ask the National Government for a date to reopen these premises.
According to the protesters, during these months of closure as a result of the covid-19 pandemic, they have registered economic losses, they have accumulated debt and many workers have lost their jobs.
“We are respectfully asking both the Minister of Health and the President of the Republic, who, just as casinos, restaurants and other types of businesses were taken into account, we are also Panamanians, we have needs, debts, we have families”, said José Castro, one of the protesters.
Castro said that not only the trainers of these places have been affected, but also cleaners, secretaries and collaborators who maintain the training machines.
They ensure that the gyms are ready with all the biosecurity measures to reopen three months ago.
Dueños y entrenadores de gimnasios protestan, exigen reapertura
MORE THAN 2 THOUSAND PEOPLE VISITED BEACHES AND RIVERS ON THE WEEKEND; THEY RETURNED 37 VEHICLES FOR DEFAULT WITH THE FAMILY BUBBLE
During the first weekend to enjoy the beaches and rivers without restrictions, more than 2,000 people visited this type of recreation area, while about 33,000 vehicles drove to the interior of the country, the National Police reported.
After seven months of prohibition to go to beaches and rivers in the country, the Ministry of Health (Minsa) lifted the measure as of Saturday, October 24, but with a series of regulations to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
This Monday, in a report from the National Police, it is specified that during the Ocean 2020 operation, the security forces detected some anomalies in compliance with sanitary measures such as wearing masks, exceeding the family bubble number and ingesting liquor.
Commissioner Raymundo Barroso, national director of citizen security for the Police, explained that during the operation, 2,459 people were counted who visited beaches or rivers within the coverage area.
Among the most popular beaches were Lajas (Chiriquí), Veracruz (Panamá Oeste, Santa Clara (Coclé) and La Barqueta (Chiriquí).
“The vehicles that traveled to the interior, in a verified capacity in Capira, were 33 thousand 53”, said Barroso in TVN.
He highlighted that there were three traffic accidents, three vehicles had to be towed with cranes for alcohol and 37 vehicles were returned for overcoming the family bubble of seven people, as established by the Minsa.
Yesterday, Sunday, it was announced that 17 people were sanctioned by a justice of the peace for breaking the rules; 14 for not wearing masks and 3 for drinking liquor.
‘RAPID CAR’ TRANSFERRED FOR ATLAPA SWAB TESTS TO JOSÉ ANTONIO REMÓN CANTERA SCHOOL
The “fast car” swab center that was located in the facilities of the National Highway Company (ENA), in front of the Atlapa Convention Center, was transferred to the premises of the José A. Remón Cantera School, on the Israel road.
In this new location, PCR tests will continue to be carried out on all people who require it and capture positive cases for COVID-19, reported the National head of swab taking, Esmeralda Martínez.
From Thursday, October 22, all the logistics of transportation began to be carried out, without ceasing to provide the attention and the taking of samples at the ENA facilities with all the equipment and supplies that are required to do it, Martínez explained.
This swab center captures around 150 tests daily and will operate from 7:00 a.m. at 3:00 p.m., Monday through Sunday.
Martínez reiterated that anyone who has any symptoms of COVID-119 can go without an appointment to undergo the PCR test.
For her part, Nínive Quiroz, in charge of the swabbing area at the José A. Remón Cantera school facilities, said that the team of nurses and general practitioners always maintain adequate biosecurity measures and disinfect the area, before and after finished the work.
Trasladan ‘auto rápido’ para pruebas de hisopado de Atlapa al colegio José Antonio Remón Cantera
STUDY SHOWS IMMUNITY AGAINST COVID-19 ‘DECREASES RAPIDLY’
A British study by Imperial College London and Ipsos Mori showed on Tuesday that the immunity acquired by people infected and cured of COVID-19 “decays quite rapidly”, especially in asymptomatic people, and could last only a few months.
From June 20 to September 28, these two agencies followed 350,000 randomly chosen people in England, who regularly self-tested at home for COVID-19 antibodies.
“During this period, the proportion of people who tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies decreased by 26.5%,” from 6% to 4.4% of the population studied, a statement explains, “suggesting a reduction in antibodies in the weeks or months after infection. “
“Immunity goes down pretty quickly,” said Helen Ward, a professor of public health at Imperial College and one of the study’s authors.
It also shows that “people who did not have symptoms of COVID-19 are likely to lose their detectable antibodies faster than those who did show symptoms.”
The proportion of antibodies in people who tested positive for the virus decreased by 22.3% over three months, while among people who did not feel symptoms of COVID-19 it fell by 64%.
The study highlights that, although all ages are affected by this decrease, the elderly are more accused: between June and September, the portion of people older than 75 years with antibodies decreased by 39%, while it fell by 14.9 % in the age group between 18 and 24 years. Vaccine Optimism “This study is a crucial piece of research as it helps us understand how COVID-19 antibodies evolve over time,” said Health Secretary James Bethell.
However, “it is not yet known whether the antibodies confer an effective level of immunity or, if this immunity exists, how long it lasts,” specified Imperial College London and Ipsos Mori, who urged the British to follow health recommendations .
Virologist Wendy Barclay, from Imperial College London, explained that “this new coronavirus appears to behave very similarly to seasonal coronaviruses that have existed in humans for decades, some for hundreds of thousands of years.”
One can “get reinfected every one to two years” with these seasonal coronaviruses due to a drop in immunity, he explained to Times Radio. Given the possible risk of reinfection with the new coronavirus, this teacher affirms that she is not in favor of the concept of “immunity passports”, intended to allow people cured of the new coronavirus to lead a normal life.
“This concept of immunity passports is not a good idea at the moment because the quality of the immune response can vary from person to person,” says Barclay.
However, she called for “optimism about vaccines because vaccines will work differently” and could confer longer immunity.
Mundo Al menos ocho muertos y 110 heridos en un atentado en seminario de Pakistán
THE FIRST SPANISH VACCINE AGAINST COVID-19 AUTHORIZED FOR INTERNATIONAL TRIAL
The RUTI vaccine against covid-19, developed by a researcher at the Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital, in Catalonia (Spain), and manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Archivel Farma, is the first Spanish to receive authorization to carry out an international clinical trial, which it will take place in Argentina.
As reported by the company, the vaccine, initially designed against tuberculosis, is also expected to be effective against other viral infections such as coronavirus, for which it has received approval from the National Administration of Medicines, Food and Medical Technology (ANMAT) of Argentina to conduct a clinical trial.
This is a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, lasting nine months, to evaluate the efficacy of the RUTI vaccine in preventing infection and reducing mortality from SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare personnel.
The vaccine has been developed by Dr. Pere-Joan Cardona, from the Can Ruti Microbiology Service, and is based on the so-called “trained innate immunity”, that is, on stimulating the body’s immunity through the vaccine and “providing it memory “to generate a better and faster response to virus exposure.
If proven effective, RUTI could become the basis for broad-spectrum antiviral vaccines thanks to its alternative mechanism to the generation of antibodies produced by classical vaccination.
In fact, this new therapeutic option could also be used as a first resort in case of epidemics caused by new viruses or in pandemic virus mutations that make existing vaccines lose their initial efficacy.
It could also be applied as a booster in populations that do not respond effectively to specific vaccines or as a complement to vaccines that generate antibodies, for example, those developed specifically for covid-19.
“The concept of trained immunity appears as an interesting and innovative alternative to explore as a prevention strategy, initially on health personnel”, explained the doctor leading the study in Argentina, Waldo Belloso, who has admitted that “obtaining of specific vaccines of sufficient efficacy and available for widespread use will take time. “
After receiving the endorsement of the Argentine authorities, the RUTI Immune company, created by Archivel Farma to produce the vaccine, has already started the logistical procedures so that the doses reach the South American country and can begin to be administered in 369 employees of various health centers.
In Spain, according to the company, the vaccine could also soon be tested in a very similar clinical trial by the Institut Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP).
Autorizan la primera vacuna española contra covid-19 para ensayo internacional
ABP: CLIENTS SHOULD CONTACT THEIR BANKS TO EXTEND FINANCIAL RELIEF
Carlos Berguido, president of the Panama Banking Association (ABP) said that clients who want to extend financial relief should contact their banks.
The National Government and directors of the Superintendency of Banks of Panama (SBP) signed on October 22, an agreement by which the moratorium period for the payment of loans is extended until June 30, 2021.
The agreement seeks that people whose income is still affected by the covid-19 crisis can reschedule with the banks the payment of their obligations.
Berguido explained that, in order to access this financial relief, clients must inform the status they are in so that the bank can offer alternatives.
“I know that the banks are calling customers in many cases, but customers must also have the initiative. It is important to have that initiative of calling, sending an email, there are many ways to communicate. The important thing is that this communication with the bank client must take place … the important thing is that this conversation leads to a decision on how is the best way, what is the real need of the client and what is the best way in which they can be assisted “, Berguido stated.
He indicated that, for example, a client who could not pay his obligations for a space of 8 months, the most common way to restructure the loan is to give him 8 months to the term so that the monthly bill can decrease.
Regarding credit cards, the president of the ABP indicated that many clients affected by the economic crisis are taking the option of transforming it into personal loans. He assured that this alternative is being promoted in all banks.
He stressed that the recovery of loans is essential for banks to preserve the integrity of the deposits of more than 4 million savers, which are the source of funds to lend to clients.
ABP: Clientes deben contactarse con sus bancos para extender alivio financiero
MOVEMENT AT TOCUMEN AIRPORT COULD INCREASE BY 41% DURING NATIONAL HOLIDAYS
Around 30,691 travelers plan to mobilize the Tocumen International Airport during the national holidays that are celebrated next November. These forecasts correspond to preliminary reports from airlines that reflect a greater departure of people as of October 30, while a greater number of people are expected to enter the country on November 7, 8 and 9. According to a statement issued by the main air terminal in the country, this mobilization of people represents an increase of 41%, since it restarted international operations on October 12.
“According to estimates, 15,784 travelers will leave the air terminal and a total of 14,907 visitors will enter Panama, which represents an additional 12,325 passengers, with respect to the regular flow of entry and exit of the first 8 days of restarting commercial operations” says the document. Travelers are recommended to consult the requirements demanded by the health authorities to enter the country of destination and comply with the biosecurity measures established by the Ministry of Health to stop the spread of Covid-19. The United States, Colombia, Mexico City, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador and in Panama the province of Chiriquí, are among the main destinations that Panamanians have chosen to travel during these days.
Nacionales Advierten que Panamá necesita partidos que presenten proyectos e ideas
GUNAS AUTHORITIES CLARIFY THAT THE USE OF MASKS AND QUARANTINE IS MAINTAINED
Anelio Merry, spokesperson for the Guna General Congress, explained that the recommendation of the General Congress of Guna Culture to lift the quarantine in all the communities of the Guna Yala region and prohibit the use of masks will not be carried out.
Merry, in an interview on Telemetro Reporta, explained that in Guna Yala there is the General Congress of Guna Culture and the General Guna Congress, each one defined by the fundamental law of the region.
While the General Congress is of an administrative and political nature, the General Congress of Culture is a body that protects the entire religious and spiritual part of the Guna people and its pronouncements are primarily for guidance and recommendation, Merry explained. It does not have mechanisms to force a community or a person, added the Guna congressional spokesperson.
The General Congress of Guna Culture argued that in some cases the state health authorities “have violated the authority of the decision when the covid-19 community health committees assumed the leadership of that role in many times not related to the pandemic crisis , creating a malaise between the local diligence “.
“There were very particular situations that they denounced within the Congress of Culture, for example, the rejection of traditional medicine by medical personnel who have come to visit some communities that do not have a health post,” Merry said.
The Guna Yala region was one of the first regions to order quarantine long before the central government took such a measure. For the moment, the region remains closed to the population as long as the fences remain.
Autoridades gunas aclaran que uso de mascarillas y cuarentena se mantiene
AUTHORITIES WILL MAKE COVID-19 TESTING MANDATORY ON BEACHES AND SHOPPING CENTERS, AMID QUESTIONS FROM SOME SECTORS
The Health authorities will make COVID-19 tests mandatory in beaches, shopping centers and checkpoints, to detect positive cases.
However, this measure is questioned by some people, who consider that the test should be done on a voluntary basis.
While others said, on social networks, that the action seems positive, because there are people who are asymptomatic to the virus.
Yesterday, at a press conference, the Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, reiterated that the COVID-19 test is mandatory.
“With us detecting the positives who do not know it, we are very possibly saving their lives and saving the lives of their family, and we are preventing them from infecting other people,” the minister explained.
GOVERNMENT SEEKS ALTERNATIVES TO SUSPENDED CONTRACTS
The government announced that it is evaluating alternatives to help companies and workers affected by the pandemic beyond December 31, 2020, the date on which the temporary protection measures established by Law 157 expire.
For now, the Executive Branch and the Banking Association of Panama (ABP) reached an agreement to extend the moratorium until the first semester of 2021, which will take effect as of January 1, 2021.
The moratorium is extensive on residential, personal, auto, credit card, small and medium business loans, and commercial loans, in addition to loans granted to the transportation, agricultural and consumer loans sectors.
The law indicates that, in order to prove the state of incapacity or insolvency for the payment of the commitments, the affected natural, legal or independent persons must present a sworn statement on plain paper or before a public notary at the bank, financial or cooperative. stating the impact on their income, or letter of dismissal, suspension of employment contract or reduction of working hours, for employees of the public or private sector.
The Minister of Labor and Labor Development, Doris Zapata, announced that they are “looking for alternative measures to help companies to be sustainable and that can help workers to enter their jobs.”
With the reopening of different companies, the Minister of Labor reported that some 82 thousand contracts have been reactivated, which would represent 30% of the contracts suspended due to the covid-19 pandemic.
While the declaration of national emergency lasts and up to 70 days after it is lifted, the credit histories of the people, which are registered by the Panamanian Credit Association, will not be affected.
The Labor Minister added that, in addition to Law 157, the Labor Code is in force and establishes the measures in its regulations for the suspension of contracts.
Article 199 of the Labor Code, numeral 8, establishes the formula for the suspension of the effects of the employment contract, due to unforeseeable circumstances or force majeure.
The Labor Code, in the last paragraph of Article 203, establishes that suspensions of the effects of employment contracts may be carried out for up to four months.
Gobierno busca alternativas para contratos suspendidos
EL GORGAS STUDIES 10 CASES OF POSSIBLE COVID-19 REINFECTION
Sandra López, from the Gorgas Memorial Institute, confirmed that 10 cases of possible COVID-19 reinfection are currently being analyzed, but only two of them are being sequenced.
López pointed out that the great obstacle they have in determining whether it is a reinfection or a clinical relapse is the sequencing of the samples, because they are kept for a period that has already passed and some have deteriorated so it cannot be done the comparison of viruses.
“To carry out the sequencing of the virus, we need the samples from the two moments of infection to be able to analyze and read the genetic sequence to determine whether it is the same virus or not. So, it happens that we have the second sample of infection, but not the first sample ”, explained López.
She stressed that in the world there are many cases of possible reinfection, but only two have been confirmed by sequencing.
He pointed out that, although the reinfection of two cases has not yet been confirmed by sequencing, they meet all the requirements for suspected reinfection, since they have the first diagnostic test, with negative PRC and that three months later the symptoms reappear with Positive PCR.
“We need to grow the virus to have enough material to be able to sequence the virus and determine that it really is different strains and reinfection,” said López. “We have to learn to follow the biosecurity and distancing rules because we are seeing that cases are increasing in Europe and here in Latin America we have not decreased the cases as they had, which means that we could have an increase in cases”, he specified.
Nacionales Terminal de Albrook se prepara por aumento de viajeros este fin de semana
CINEMA THEATER OPEN TODAY IN PANAMA WITH EXTREME BIOSECURITY MEASURES
With extreme biosafety measures, cinemas in Panama are opening today, Thursday, October 29.
It was reported that this opening is being done in a staggered manner and for these first days only seven cinemas will open, where only 50% occupancy will be allowed.
Inside the cinemas, those who attend will be guaranteed that there will be two seats on the right, left, back and front empty.
Families who come in their bubble will be allowed to sit together, but it will guarantee the distancing from the rest of those present.
Movie times will be staggered to avoid crowds. In the same way, the population is asked to purchase their tickets online.
Among the cinemas that will open from today are: Cinépolis de Multiplaza, Metromall, Alta Plaza, El Dorado, Westland and Twon Center in Costa del Este. Also from Royal Cinema at Megamall.
As for the sale of food, the cinemas will open and have a reduced menu, this to avoid the lines and will be controlled with physical distance.
The staff that works that the cinemas will be protected with masks and screens.
It is recommended that people make their payments by credit card, but the one who does not have it will be able to make the payment, but it will not be to the same person who will serve their food.
Personnel is protected who will attend the public, payments made by card, although you can pay with cash, but the same personnel who serve will not charge
Regarding the films that will be screened, it was indicated that there is no premiere for young children, but there will be action films and those related to Halloween.
The cinemas that are opening are only in the capital city and Arraiján, not in the rest of the country, where the opening will begin next week.
In Panama there are 25 movie theaters and only seven are activated. The public is advised to cooperate with movie theaters and adhere to biosecurity measures.
The use of masks is required, the temperature will be taken and the distance between people will be guaranteed.
Salas de cines abren desde hoy en Panamá con extremas medidas de bioseguridad
STATUS UPDATE
Friday, October 23, 2020
PANAMA ACCUMULATES A TOTAL OF 127,866 DETECTED CASES OF INFECTION AND 2,622 DEATHS BY COVID-19
- 127,866 positive cases
- 639 new cases
- 2,622 deaths
- 20,138 home isolation (469 hospital hotels)
- 652 are hospitalized (530 in ward / 122 intensive care)
- 103,985 clinically recovered
Saturday, October 24, 2020
PANAMA ACCUMULATES A TOTAL OF 128,515 DETECTED CASES OF INFECTION AND 2,628 DEATHS BY COVID-19
- 128,515 positive cases
- 649 new cases
- 2,628 deaths
- 20,164 home isolation (464 hospital hotels)
- 697 are hospitalized (569 in ward / 128 intensive care)
- 104,562 clinically recovered
Sunday, October 25, 2020
PANAMA ACCUMULATES A TOTAL OF 129,200 DETECTED CASES OF INFECTION AND 2,633 DEATHS BY COVID-19
- 129,200 positive cases
- 685 new cases
- 2,633 deaths
- 20,149 home isolation (476 hospital hotels)
- 711 are hospitalized (583 in ward / 128 intensive care)
- 105,231 clinically recovered
Monday, October 26, 2020
PANAMA ACCUMULATES A TOTAL OF 129,751 DETECTED CASES OF INFECTION AND 2,638 DEATHS BY COVID-19
- 129,751 positive cases
- 551 new cases
- 2,638 deaths
- 20,237 home isolation (482 hospital hotels)
- 684 are hospitalized (559 in ward / 125 intensive care)
- 105,710 clinically recovered
Tuesday, October 27, 2020
PANAMA ACCUMULATES A TOTAL OF 130,422 DETECTED CASES OF INFECTION AND 2,650 DEATHS BY COVID-19
- 130,422 positive cases
- 671 new cases
- 2,650 deaths
- 20,187 home isolation (463 hospital hotels)
- 682 are hospitalized (561 in ward / 121 intensive care)
- 106,440 clinically recovered
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
PANAMA ACCUMULATES A TOTAL OF 131,247 DETECTED CASES OF INFECTION AND 2,663 DEATHS BY COVID-19
- 131,247 positive cases
- 825 new cases
- 2,663 deaths
- 20,043 home isolation (477 hospital hotels)
- 673 are hospitalized (554 in ward / 119 intensive care)
- 107,391 clinically recovered
Thursday, October 29, 2020
PANAMA ACCUMULATES A TOTAL OF 132,045 DETECTED CASES OF INFECTION AND 2,678 DEATHS BY COVID-19
- 132,045 positive cases
- 798 new cases
- 2,678 deaths
- 19,854 home isolation (505 hospital hotels)
- 666 are hospitalized (547 in ward / 119 intensive care)
- 108,342 clinically recovered
Coronavirus statistics from Day 1
This table is only visible online
Daily COVID-19 Cases
This is a list of the number of cases per day since the first case was discovered in PanamaEND NOTES
In my introduction today, I wrote that the “cat was out of the bag”. Very fitting as today was National Cat Day in the USA. I love cats, but alas, the Queen doth not. We had a shop kitty for a brief spell that I may have mentioned during the course of my many writings. Well, I had a shop kitty… She came around with 2 of her siblings and decided to stay. The Queen thought it was a bad omen that she decided to remain, wandering the property, anxious to visit. But only I knew that, in secret, I had been leaving food out for her, hidden under the work bench to conceal my evil doing. The Queen should have paid note to the ever-depleting supply of tuna from the pantry.
Stay safe… Stay healthy… And by all means (unless you’ve been arrested for going to the beach) STAY HOME!!…