Corona Virus #8

[dragoneggs]

A good portion of us would like to continue this discussion keeping us all up to date and keeping politics out of it.

Let's try again...

I just learned that two of my friends in New York City have come down with the virus. Both are recovering and did not need to be hospitalized. Hearing first hand the symptoms including losing sense of taste and smell as well as a fever that wouldn't break for several days and not knowing if and when they should go to the hospital. Continues to get closer to home. Sure glad I am not living in a city.

 

[CalG]

The local community lost a member to Covid-19 over the past few days.

A recognized member of our community, A co-worker for myself, A grandfather to children my wife teaches at the local school.

Yes, he was old, yes he was overweight, yes he smoked cigs, He was vulnerable. Now he is gone.

It feels so intimate. A tragic loss that that ripples through our common unity.

I look at the stats. 14 people perish in our small state each week. This week the numbers are DOWN . < 10

I'm not sure how I should feel.

 

[Wagtail]

Ah HA! I went to do my daily report this morning only to find that some people had been naughty yet again. That, and I needed to wait for dragoneggs to 'start' this thread.

Right then, the Saturday 4 Apr (2024) report from FORTRESS TASMANIA. All's quiet in the Shire. I believe that there are only 88 cases in the State and the Australia wide death count has risen to 30. There's been no new restrictions placed on us, although I am going to heed the advice and not attend my Church's small (10 only) gathering. Church, and especially Easter Weekend Services, are available from the Bishop from Hobart on YouTube... you adapt and overcome, eh?

----------------------------------------

Yesterday morning I was surprised to see live pictures of the MS ZAANDAM entering Fort Lauderdale, well this morning I was surprised to learn that my Aunt had not only been tested OK (as far as that can go) but then placed onto a chartered aircraft, flown out of the US and is now HOME! Yep, she still has to go through another 14 day quarantine, but not locked down in an internal cabin.

I briefly Skyped her as soon as my Sister told me she was home and asked her, "So, what did you bring me?!" :laughing:

 

[downsizingnow48]

Glad she is back!!

 

[pennwalk]

New York Times reports Italy is thinking of testing for antibodies people have after they have recovered from covid 19 and then letting them go back to work. I wonder if the U.S. could do that or if it would be beyond our capacity?

Chris

 

[pennwalk]

My wife was finally able to submit the application for a small business loan which is part of the covid 19 aid package. They were afraid the money would run out before their bank could get their portal up and running. The forms and required information and method of applying have changed several times Friday. She says that this has been the most stressful week in her career.

Chris

 

[shooterdon]

Dragoneggs,
Thanks for trying this again.

I have no idea what the other forum is going to be like and would prefer coming here for updates. Going to a format that "encourages" political confrontation and may permit name calling would not be of interest to me anyway. It is OK for us to disagree but this virus is a common threat.

I am worried about 5030...not like him to be silent this long. Last on here 3/25. He is one of the high risk guys. Has not responded to a PM sent a few days ago.

Pray that all of us get through this but realize that is unlikely. We should think about that when getting into a pissing match.

 

[newbury]

New York Times reports Italy is thinking of testing for antibodies people have after they have recovered from covid 19 and then letting them go back to work. I wonder if the U.S. could do that of if it would be beyond our capacity?

Chris

At this point in time it is up to the Governors, mayors and lower.
And we need to put the guy running the ventilator firm in Texas, Texas '''mom and pop''' business flooded with orders for helmet ventilators amid coronavirus crisis, in charge of a branch of the Army Medical Corps and get those darn ventilators MADE!!

 

[pennwalk]

I needed some groceries that I couldn't get curbside or delivered. Still a lot of supply problems in our area. One local store wrote to say that wholesale prices were going up so the store had to raise their prices. Supposedly a good time to shop is 6-8pm.
The store was more crowded than the last time I went. There were a few more people wearing masks. I saw half a dozen people with scarves and bandanas across their faces. Stock in the store was thin. No flour or yeast. Dairy was thin. One thing I noticed was that they had a good sized pile of single rolls of tp wrapped in paper like commercial tp. Now that so many businesses are closed down there is probable commercial tp available but that was all they had. None of the employees were wearing masks. I saw one cashier wearing gloves. I heard the lady in the next isle ask the cashier to sanitize her hands. Cashier looked disgusted.

Chris

 

[Garandman]

Although the tractor is in NH, we live in Boston. MA is pretty hard-hit. A company called BioGen had a business conference Feb 26-27. By March 3rd a lot of people were sick and by the 6th 77 of the 92 cases in the state were attendees. Not only that, but there were 12 people from five other states who spread it as well.

That said, we only know of two people who had it, both recovered. One was a neighbor at the BioGen conference. She spent two weeks at home - her husband never got it, that he knows of.

Boston is actually a lot less busy and crowded than normal. Very few commuters and construction on projects bigger than a house all on hold. The grocery stores are relatively well-stocked, only real shortage is antiseptic wipes, but there's plenty of soap and the local HD has plenty of gloves. After 9/11 and the marathon bombing Bostonians seem to be taking this in stride. We just donated to a food bank and are going to use the van to move furniture for families staying in Boston to be with patients at the hospitals. We have a couple of C19-only facilities set up, but they aren't too busy yet. A lot of people are weathering it at home, without hospitalization.

Lot of complaints about NY'ers going to their vacation houses on Cape Cod, the Berkshires, the Islands, RI, and VT. It's a shoulder season (AKA Mud Season) in New England so it's normally just year-round residents. The year-rounders are complaining about the potential load on their limited medical facilities. But I notice they are very happy to collect real estate taxes year-round and sell those folks stuff. If I were in NYC with a family and had a place to go, I would: but not leaving Boston for NH.

Been making shields on our 3D printer and giving them to nurses. Delivered about 70 so far, 15 more on Monday.

 

[D2Cat]

Shooterdon, you said "I am worried ...". It's probably something as simple as his computer shot craps and he doesn't have any other way to keyboard something. And remember, he's isolated and ain't putting himself at risk!

Worry. 40%--things that never happen
30%--things over and passed, and all the worry can't change
12%--needless worries about health
10%--petty, miscellaneous worries
8%--real legitimate worries
1/2 (4%)--you can solve
1/2 (4%)--you can't solve
___________
92%--of worries are wasted energy

 

[rswyan]

At this point in time it is up to the Governors, mayors and lower.

Here in Ohio Governor Dewine announced that OSU and the Ohio Department of Public Health have partnered up to avert the backlog that was created by relying on out-of-state labs doing testing for COVID-19.

I would not be at all surprised to see them expand that to serologic testing for antibodies as well in the coming days, given how proactive Governor Dewine and Ohio DPH have been.

And we need to put the guy running the ventilator firm in Texas, Texas '''mom and pop''' business flooded with orders for helmet ventilators amid coronavirus crisis, in charge of a branch of the Army Medical Corps and get those darn ventilators MADE!!

:thumbsup:

 

[pennwalk]

Been making shields on our 3D printer and giving them to nurses. Delivered about 70 so far, 15 more on Monday.

That's cool! What do the shields look like?

Chris

 

[3Ts]

When someone goes on a ventilator, just what does that mean? Other than they can't breathe for themselves. I know they put a tube thru the nose into your lungs, and breathe for you. Does that mean you're unconscious? Either because you're in such bad shape or do they put you to sleep? Is someone there monitoring the machine constantly? What is the probability of recovering once you're on a ventilator? How long is someone normally on one before they are removed either by recovering or by not needing it anymore?

 

[rswyan]

April 3rd data curves:
Both the @FT and @OurWorldInData show the same very steep slope in US deaths, the unchanged doubling time at ~3 days.
Let's hope for some magic mitigation to interrupt the course of these curves
(the UK is running right along the US not good place to be)

Twitter

 

[rswyan]

More on April 3:
--New York, the steepest fatality curve in the world, but at least the doubling time is increasing and it's better (shift right) than the past few days
--But also steeper slope noted for WA, FL, NJ
--Less (better) for LA, MI today

Twitter

 

[pennwalk]

Here in Ohio Governor Dewine announced that OSU and the Ohio Department of Public have partnered up to avert the backlog that was created by relying on out-of-state labs doing testing for COVID-19.

I would not be at all surprised to see them expand that to serologic testing for antibodies as well in the coming days, given how proactive Governor Dewine and Ohio DPH have been.


:thumbsup:

Our Governor is a good man but not what I would call innovative. Also we have divided government so it is pretty hard to move fast. One great thing about our country is how, good people pitch in to help people. I think with more leadership America could do much better. I think about leadership in terms of coaching. It takes a special person to get the best out of a team.

Chris

 

[shooterdon]

Shooterdon, you said "I am worried ...". It's probably something as simple as his computer shot craps and he doesn't have any other way to keyboard something. And remember, he's isolated and ain't putting himself at risk!

Worry. 40%--things that never happen
30%--things over and passed, and all the worry can't change
12%--needless worries about health
10%--petty, miscellaneous worries
8%--real legitimate worries
1/2 (4%)--you can solve
1/2 (4%)--you can't solve
___________
92%--of worries are wasted energy

Thanks D2Cat...could be that simple.

 

[LouNY]

My wife was finally able to submit the application for a small business loan which is part of the covid 19 aid package. They were afraid the money would run out before their bank could get their portal up and running. The forms and required information and method of applying have changed several times Friday. She says that this has been the most stressful week in her career.

Chris

What I found interesting and a bit irritating was that farmers are excluded from the loan packages.

 

[skipperbrown]

When someone goes on a ventilator, just what does that mean? Other than they can't breathe for themselves. I know they put a tube thru the nose into your lungs, and breathe for you. Does that mean you're unconscious? Either because you're in such bad shape or do they put you to sleep? Is someone there monitoring the machine constantly? What is the probability of recovering once you're on a ventilator? How long is someone normally on one before they are removed either by recovering or by not needing it anymore?

It means your lungs can't provide enough O2 to your tissues to survive and must be supplemented by artificial means, eg, the ventilator. Short term patients are intubated, meaning a tube is inserted in their throat to provide an open pathway. Most patients are not unconscious, but are given sedatives and a paralyzing drug to keep them from fighting the vent. It is very uncomfortable to have a tube in your throat and the natural reaction is to get it out NOW. Once certain perimeters are met, staff will attempt to 'wean' the patient off the vent by removing it for short times to see if the patient can breathe on their own and maintain minimum O2 stats. The machine is generally used in ICU so staff is always nearby to monitor the machine. It can and will keep breathing for you even if you die, because the machine doesn't know you are dead. It pumps air or a mixture of O2/air. Time on the vent is dictated by your ability to recover. Some paralyzed accident victims are on the vent forever. Long term patients are trached for a more comfortable tube placement but that is a surgical procedure.