Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #101

[IceIce9]

From the article:
UCHealth said it implemented the vaccine policy for the safety and health of its patients.

"For transplant patients who contract COVID-19, the mortality rate ranges from about 20% to more than 30%. This shows the extreme risk that COVID-19 poses to transplant recipients after their surgeries," the health system told CBS4. The health system also noted that patients have been required to receive other vaccines, such as for hepatitis B, to help ensure a transplant won’t be rejected.

This is no different than requiring organ recipients to quit smoking or other harmful habits before being able to receive a transplant.

Organs are precious and they should go to recipients with the least chance of a poor outcome.

 

[Cool Cats]

This is no different than requiring organ recipients to quit smoking or other harmful habits before being able to receive a transplant.

Organs are precious and they should go to recipients with the least chance of a poor outcome.

I agree with what you are saying and the thing is that other vaccinations and strong medications are required.

Colorado hospital denies kidney transplant to unvaccinated woman and donor | Daily Mail Online

Letter from Kidney Transplant Coordinator

A Colorado Springs woman's kidney transplant suddenly went from on-track to on-hold because of the COVID-19 vaccine. She is opposed to the vaccine and so is her friend who is a potential donor.

Leilani Lutali, left, was set to receive a new kidney from her friend, Jamiee Fougner, when the women suddenly found out the procedure would be halted because they are unvaccinated.

The health system also noted that patients have been required to receive other vaccines, such as for hepatitis B, to help ensure a transplant won’t be rejected.

Lutali faces stage five kidney failure and would be removed from the organ recipient list if she fails to get the vaccine within 30 days

"For me there are questions that have not yet been answered and until those questions are answered and settled in my mind, I don't want to take the shot," said Leilani Lutali.

Her friend, who is a potential donor, is also against the COVID-19 vaccine. “Mine is for religious reasons,” said Jaimee Fougner. She is a nurse and has been vaccinated for other diseases. Her religious concerns have to do with the way the COVID-19 vaccine was developed.

 

[Cool Cats]

UCLA anesthesiologist, vocal against COVID vaccine mandates, is escorted out of workplace

A UCLA anesthesiologist who is vocal about his opposition to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate was escorted out of his workplace Monday for attempting to enter the building unvaccinated.

In a video that he seemingly captured himself, Dr. Christopher B. Rake is seen being escorted out of the 200 UCLA Medical Plaza in Westwood by three individuals.

“This is what happens when you stand up for freedom and when you show up to work, willing to work, despite being unvaccinated, and this is the price you have to pay sometimes,” he says. “But what they don’t realize is that I’m willing to lose everything — job, paycheck, freedom, even my life for this cause.”

Rake has been vocal about his beliefs before. On Aug. 29, he was recorded at an anti-vaccination rally in Santa Monica speaking about his opposition to the Aug. 5 California order that all healthcare workers must be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 30. In opposition, Rake founded an anti-vaccination organization called Citizens United for Freedom. In the video, Rake tells the crowd, “They want to force a vaccination or medication or treatment into my body that I don’t want. So they’re telling me, ‘Take the jab or we take your job.’ And I’m here to say no. That’s not OK.”

UCLA Health said in a statement that active employees not working remotely must be vaccinated or receive an exemption, in compliance with the state public health order. “Those out of compliance are subject to progressive discipline, including restricting access to work sites and being placed on leave,” the statement said.

It is unclear what consequences Rake faced as a result. Rake did not respond to a request for comment.

 

[Bbgiraffe]

Sun, October 3, 2021, 6:09 AM
A few skeptical U.S. hospital workers choose dismissal over vaccine

Jennifer Bridges

Jennifer Bridges loved her job as a nurse at Houston Methodist Hospital, where she worked for eight years, but she chose to get fired rather than inoculated against COVID-19, believing that the vaccine was more of a threat than the deadly virus.

"I have never felt so strong about anything," said Bridges, 39, who lives in Houston. She was terminated from her $70,000 per year post on June 21, the deadline for employees to get a jab. "I did not feel there was proper research in this shot. It had been developed very quickly."

For Bridges, the high demand for nurses meant she could refuse the shot without sacrificing financial security. On the same day she was fired by Methodist, she started training for her next job at a private nursing company that has no vaccine mandate.

Nurse Katie Yarber also found a job after leaving Houston Methodist but only after going 12 weeks without a paycheck and depleting "a big chunk" of her savings. Still, she said she does not regret her decision to depart after 14 years of service.

Yarber, 35, said she would not get the vaccine because of her religious convictions, a stance that the hospital rejected. She is also wary of possible long-term side effects.

Yarber, who said she has already had COVID, is now a work-from-home nurse case manager. She had a brief stint at Texas Children's Hospital but that ended when it too required vaccinations.

Carolyn Euart is one of about 175 workers dismissed last Monday after refusing vaccinations at Novant Health, a North Carolina hospital network. She is now considering a new career.

With 24 years as a patient services coordinator, Euart, 56, had planned to retire from Novant, but is now exploring opening a dessert restaurant and sweet shop.

After battling cancer since 2008, she felt the risk of a vaccine was greater than COVID, which four of her family members have had.

"I needed the job, but I didn't think that my job was worth my life," she said.

In upstate New York, Andrew Kurtyko said he is ready to be fired from his $90,000 nursing job at Mount St. Mary's Hospital in Lewiston for refusing the shot. He knows he could earn more by working as a "travel nurse," taking temporary jobs around the country.

"Certainly with my years of experience, I'm pretty marketable," said Kurtyko, 47, a divorced father of a college student who has a mortgage to pay.

Like some other medical workers, Kurtyko questions the efficacy and safety of the vaccines. He is also seeking a religious exemption from the Catholic Hospital. If he is denied, he expects to lose his job on Oct. 12.

Bob Nevens, 47, Houston Methodist's top risk manager for 10 years, also prefers to take his chances with COVID over a vaccine. As a consequence, he became one of the country's first workplace mandate casualties in April.

Besides a lack of long-term data, Nevens said he refused Methodist's mandate because it did not acknowledge "natural immunity" for those who had already contracted COVID and because vaccine manufacturers are shielded from liability.

"Financially, I'm fine," he said. "Mentally, it's exhausting, because I didn't want to make that decision. I had planned on retiring from Houston Methodist."

Imagine if you will a pandemic so deadly we can afford to fire healthcare workers.

 

[Cool Cats]

Unvaxxed teachers who've been barred from school property or put on unpaid leave say they won't be 'bullied' into taking COVID-19 vaccine
Wed, October 6, 2021, 5:01 PM

Teachers protested New York City's vaccine mandate on Monday.

Frantz Conde, 47, was placed on unpaid leave from his Brooklyn middle school, where he has taught for 18 years. He is numbered among the less than 6% of employees in the public school system - about 8,000 out of approximately 150,000 - who refused to take the vaccine and were placed on unpaid leave, the New York Times reported.

Conde told Insider that New York City's vaccination mandate, which went into effect Monday and requires teachers and other Department of Education employees to get the COVID-19 shot, feels forced. Teachers and employees who refuse the shot are prohibited from teaching or entering schools, and they are placed on a year-long unpaid leave.

"The issue is not the vaccine. The issue is being forced, coerced, bullied, cajoled into taking a vaccine against your will," said Conde, who said his religious exemption to the vaccine was denied.

 

[Lilibet]

"The issue is not the vaccine. The issue is being forced, coerced, bullied, cajoled into taking a vaccine against your will," said Conde, who said his religious exemption to the vaccine was denied.

But the vaccine wasn’t being forced until recently. This teacher has had months to get vaccinated…and didn’t. And now he says the issue is that the vax is being “forced, coerced,” against his will. Clearly, the issue IS the vaccine. He didn’t want the vaccination and now he’s reaping the consequences.

“This is what happens when you stand up for freedom and when you show up to work, willing to work, despite being unvaccinated, and this is the price you have to pay sometimes,” he says. “But what they don’t realize is that I’m willing to lose everything — job, paycheck, freedom, even my life for this cause.”

And what about my right as a patient to expect that those caring for me at the UCLA Medical Center will be vaccinated? My safety trumps your job. JMO

 

[HongKongPhooey]

But the vaccine wasn’t being forced until recently. This teacher has had months to get vaccinated…and didn’t. And now he says the issue is that the vax is being “forced, coerced,” against his will. Clearly, the issue IS the vaccine. He didn’t want the vaccination and now he’s reaping the consequences.



And what about my right as a patient to expect that those caring for me at the UCLA Medical Center will be vaccinated? My safety trumps your job. JMO

Totally agree.

Maybe this is naive, but people who work in any "caring" profession, be it nursing, paramedics, carehomes and teaching - they're caring for our children every day - to me it's a given that they are required to put others first. That goes with the territory. If personal beliefs get in the way of that, so be it - they need to find another career then IMO.

 

[SouthAussie]

I agree with what you are saying and the thing is that other vaccinations and strong medications are required.

Colorado hospital denies kidney transplant to unvaccinated woman and donor | Daily Mail Online

Letter from Kidney Transplant Coordinator

A Colorado Springs woman's kidney transplant suddenly went from on-track to on-hold because of the COVID-19 vaccine. She is opposed to the vaccine and so is her friend who is a potential donor.

Leilani Lutali, left, was set to receive a new kidney from her friend, Jamiee Fougner, when the women suddenly found out the procedure would be halted because they are unvaccinated.

The health system also noted that patients have been required to receive other vaccines, such as for hepatitis B, to help ensure a transplant won’t be rejected.

Lutali faces stage five kidney failure and would be removed from the organ recipient list if she fails to get the vaccine within 30 days

"For me there are questions that have not yet been answered and until those questions are answered and settled in my mind, I don't want to take the shot," said Leilani Lutali.

Her friend, who is a potential donor, is also against the COVID-19 vaccine. “Mine is for religious reasons,” said Jaimee Fougner. She is a nurse and has been vaccinated for other diseases. Her religious concerns have to do with the way the COVID-19 vaccine was developed.

Honestly, it sounds to me that they both have put their beliefs ahead of her life. If this transplant is going to save her life, why would they not do everything in their power to facilitate it? Which, obviously, includes getting covid vaccinated.

Unless she thinks that a dialysis machine will keep her alive, and she is happy to be on one of those for however long.

 

[Cool Cats]

So why SKIP the Covid vaccine? Why not SKIP some of these others? See below

Vaccines/Nurses
American Nurses Association
Professional Organization

Nurses give a lot of vaccines. But they also need vaccines! By the nature of their work, nurses come into contact with many infectious diseases, the most notable of which is influenza. Vaccination is an important way to stay protected from contracting a disease at work.

But vaccination can also protect the nurse's patients and family. While at work, a nurse may unknowingly pass a disease on to the patient, especially when critically ill or the most vulnerable, such as newborns. In addition, if a nurse contracts an illness from work, he or she can pass it on to her family members.

Don't risk it - be vaccinated. Being vaccinated against all diseases, from measles to influenza to whooping cough, can prevent the transmission of disease and protect nurses, their patients, and their families!

Nurses have a responsibility to be up-to-date on recommended routine vaccines. An immunization promotes optimal health and protects patients and the community from vaccine preventable diseases. Nurses work in environments where they are exposed to many communicable diseases and infections, so it's especially important to have the following vaccines:

• Seasonal Influenza - get your influenza vaccine every fall!
• Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis (Tdap) - especially for nurses working with newborn or compromised infants
• Measles, Mumps, and Rubella
• Hepatitis B
• Varicella
• Meningococcal - CDC recommends one dose if you are often exposed to isolates of N. meningitidis

 

[Cool Cats]

Honestly, it sounds to me that they both have put their beliefs ahead of her life. If this transplant is going to save her life, why would they not do everything in their power to facilitate it? Which, obviously, includes getting covid vaccinated.

Unless she thinks that a dialysis machine will keep her alive, and she is happy to be on one of those for however long.

We should follow this story to see what happens at the 11th hour.

They will give in?
Some other transplant team will take them?
She stays on dialysis?

 

[Cool Cats]

‘I’d Rather Die Than Take the Vaccine’

A Michigan physician who works in hospice and pulmonary care has posted on his Facebook page the dying denials of patients with COVID-19. Many healthcare workers have heard such words themselves, which reveal a startling rejection of science and a dogmatic belief in misinformation.

Matthew Trunsky, MD, of Royal Oak, MI posted the following on September 11, 2021.

“In my last two days of work I have heard the following,” Trunsky wrote.

• “You’re wrong doctor. I’m too healthy. I don’t have Covid. I’m fine.” (In reality, he’s fighting for his life).
• “I demand ivermectin or you’ll hear from my lawyer.”
• “I demand hydroxychloroquine.”
• “I don’t care what you say. I’m going to leave.”(Response: “That is your prerogative but you’ll be dead before you get to your car.”)
• “I’d rather die than take the vaccine.” (You may get your wish.)
• “I didn’t take it because my son told me it would kill me.” (The patient is currently fighting for his life — in fact it was the son‘s advice that may kill him.)
• “I want a different doctor. I don’t believe you.”
• From a woman whose husband died of Covid, “I would never feel comfortable recommending the vaccine for family and friends."

 

[weepingangel]

Some Michigan health departments back off mask and quarantine orders after GOP budget provision targets their funding - CNNPolitics




The children left behind: 140,000 kids lost a caregiver to Covid

 

[ilovewings]

UCLA anesthesiologist, vocal against COVID vaccine mandates, is escorted out of workplace

A UCLA anesthesiologist who is vocal about his opposition to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate was escorted out of his workplace Monday for attempting to enter the building unvaccinated.

In a video that he seemingly captured himself, Dr. Christopher B. Rake is seen being escorted out of the 200 UCLA Medical Plaza in Westwood by three individuals.

“This is what happens when you stand up for freedom and when you show up to work, willing to work, despite being unvaccinated, and this is the price you have to pay sometimes,” he says. “But what they don’t realize is that I’m willing to lose everything — job, paycheck, freedom, even my life for this cause.”

Rake has been vocal about his beliefs before. On Aug. 29, he was recorded at an anti-vaccination rally in Santa Monica speaking about his opposition to the Aug. 5 California order that all healthcare workers must be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 30. In opposition, Rake founded an anti-vaccination organization called Citizens United for Freedom. In the video, Rake tells the crowd, “They want to force a vaccination or medication or treatment into my body that I don’t want. So they’re telling me, ‘Take the jab or we take your job.’ And I’m here to say no. That’s not OK.”

UCLA Health said in a statement that active employees not working remotely must be vaccinated or receive an exemption, in compliance with the state public health order. “Those out of compliance are subject to progressive discipline, including restricting access to work sites and being placed on leave,” the statement said.

It is unclear what consequences Rake faced as a result. Rake did not respond to a request for comment.

Wow- that's a little surprising!!!

 

[IceIce9]

Imagine if you will a pandemic so deadly we can afford to fire healthcare workers.

Would you want unvaccinated healthcare workers taking care of your loved ones?

Healthcare workers have been required to have other vaccines for years. Flu, hepatitis B etc.

About six months ago I began picking up some hours at another hospital. Before I began I had to have a blood draw to check my titers for measles, mumps, rubella, rubeola, chicken pox, and hepatitis B.

My hepatitis B antibodies were low, even though I had previously completed the 3 shot series. I was required to have a hepatitis B booster shot before I was able to begin working.

 

[ilovewings]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/10/07/covid-delta-variant-live-updates/

Studies in Israel show that immunity after the Pfizer vaccine weakens faster in men than women

 

[Cool Cats]

A Texas man who threatened to have people infected with COVID-19 lick groceries was sentenced to 15 months in prison

San Antonio Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Covid Hoax

Wed, October 6, 2021, 11:19 AM

San Antonio Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Covid Hoax

SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for perpetrating a hoax related to COVID-19 in April 2020.

According to court records, a federal jury found Christopher Charles Perez, aka Christopher Robbins, 40, guilty of two counts of 18 U.S.C. § 1038, which criminalizes false information and hoaxes related to biological weapons.

Evidence presented during trial revealed that Perez posted two threatening messages on Facebook in which he claimed to have paid someone who was infected with COVID-19 to lick items at grocery stores in the San Antonio area to scare people away from visiting the stores.

On April 5, 2020, a screenshot of the initial posting was sent by an online tip to the Southwest Texas Fusion Center (SWTFC), which then contacted the FBI office in San Antonio for further investigation. The threat was false. Perez did not pay someone to intentionally spread coronavirus at grocery stores, according to investigators and Perez’s own admissions.

In addition to the sentence, Perez was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.

“Trying to scare people with the threat of spreading dangerous diseases is no joking matter,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “This office takes seriously threats to harm the community and will prosecute them to the full extent of the law.”

 

[sds71]

@mkraju

Big news in battle against covid and for parents of younger children: Pfizer and BioNTech said Thursday they are seeking US Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization from for their Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. FDA panel meets Oct 26, CDC review after

 

[musicaljoke]

Totally agree.

Maybe this is naive, but people who work in any "caring" profession, be it nursing, paramedics, carehomes and teaching - they're caring for our children every day - to me it's a given that they are required to put others first. That goes with the territory. If personal beliefs get in the way of that, so be it - they need to find another career then IMO.

Yes, I agree. The pandemic has exposed this problem, which may have been there all along but could be hidden until now. It's clear that some people will behave without civic responsibility, aware that doing so causes the death of another person, ties up access to medical services, and creates havoc with the economy.

Society's patience has waned for those who use their personal choice as an excuse to drive the pandemic.

 

[Skigh]

More than 400,000 people in Britain have been suffering from 'long Covid' for over a year | Daily Mail Online

 

[musicaljoke]

We should follow this story to see what happens at the 11th hour.

They will give in?
Some other transplant team will take them?
She stays on dialysis?

It wouldn't surprise me if the team took these two people off of their transplant list. There has to be an ongoing trust between the medical team and the recipient. If the recipient is not confident that the medical team is always acting in her best interest, then that undermines the ability of the medical team to provide the care that is needed for the rest of the recipient's life.

Even if the recipient "gives in" for the sole purpose of getting back on the transplant list, can the doctors be confident that future boosters will be received as required, or that some other issue of compliance with medical protocols won't be rejected?

The list of people waiting for transplants is huge. If I was on the medical team, I would say, "Next!"