Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #105

[Arkay]

I’m sure her grieving family can take comfort in that.

I believe very strongly in our freedom as Americans, too.

But this is a highly contagious and deadly disease. This is not a Communist takeover. Ultimately we are at war with an invisible and pervasive enemy, and what good is freedom to this woman or all the others who are now dead?

IMO we are all soldiers in this war, and our weapons are vaccines and masks etc. instead of guns and tanks. But there are millions of people who have gone AWOL and are being captured by the viral enemy.

 

[weepingangel]

I understand it can be a bit challenging to swab both throat and nose with those little swabs the test kits provide, but I guess it can be done.

Everybody’s doing it at least everybody online. I’m trying to snag a few tests from Walmart. But no luck yet. I have one (test not kit) here. And that’s it.

 

[ilovewings]

I’m sure her grieving family can take comfort in that.

Those who loved her described her enthusiasm as "contagious"--
The virus is also contagious----too bad she did not understand
that particular kind of contagion

 

[MrX]

I believe very strongly in our freedom as Americans, too.

But this is a highly contagious and deadly disease. This is not a Communist takeover. Ultimately we are at war with an invisible and pervasive enemy, and what good is freedom to this woman or all the others who are now dead?

IMO we are all soldiers in this war, and our weapons are vaccines and masks etc. instead of guns and tanks. But there are millions of people who have gone AWOL and are being captured by the viral enemy.

I would hope we would have learned, by now, that not everyone is the same. For many the isolation and closures that have come with the pandemic are akin to a living death. You may accuse the protesters that we have seen in Australia, Austria and recently in Holland of going AWOL, while others may call them heroes. I suspect many more places would look like China, if not for the folks that risked arrest to fight for a different approach.

I've told the story of a medical doctor that I worked with last year. He was almost giddy about our lockdown, because it fit his lifestyle. He finally had a perfect excuse for turning down invitations to social functions. Staying home, practicing cooking, watching Netflix was Heaven. Of course, he couched it all in language about doing his part for the good of humanity. I asked him a hypothetical: What if they discovered that the way to defeat the pandemic was for people to be closely packed together - that he would have to sleep on a cot in an airplane hangar loaded with all the neighbors he despised? He didn't have an answer. Once the idea of acting for the "greater good" was associated with forcing him to live an unbearable existence, he couldn't say that he would comply.

I wish we all could have more compassion and understanding for other points of view, but when so many see it in existential terms, that may not be possible.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

Live press conference from Boris, Whitty and Valance right now.

Key message - no further restrictions imminent.

61% of people in ICU are not boosted. 90% are not vaccinated.

Lateral flow tests will be sent to industries such as food, transport etc so that workers can be tested daily.

Battle is far from over and the hope is we can "ride the Omicron wave".

(Live on BBC news.)

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I was at an outpatient lab of the Beaumont Hospital system in Michigan. I have a specialist appointment tomorrow and found out late yesterday that the physician wanted more current lab results than those from early November. I arrived at the lab at 10:55AM and noticed that the registration area was very busy. There weren't many available seats, and there seemed to be little effort to social distance. People were sitting right next to each other on 2-or-3-cushioned sofas, and I doubt that all were from the same household. I was summoned to a registration desk after about 10 minutes and then waited about 25 minutes before I was taken to the lab for a blood draw. At 11:15, the receptionist started telling incoming patients that there would be an hour-long wait for labs or x-rays. Some folks left but most indicated that they would stay.
The phlebotomist was surprised to see how busy the registration area was when she called me for my blood draw. She said that they are short-staffed and that many people either don't want to work or have been exposed to Covid.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

I was at an outpatient lab of the Beaumont Hospital system in Michigan. I have a specialist appointment tomorrow and found out late yesterday that the physician wanted more current lab results than those from early November. I arrived at the lab at 10:55AM and noticed that the registration area was very busy. There weren't many available seats, and there seemed to be little effort to social distance. People were sitting right next to each other on 2-or-3-cushioned sofas, and I doubt that all were from the same household. I was summoned to a registration desk after about 10 minutes and then waited about 25 minutes before I was taken to the lab for a blood draw. At 11:15, the receptionist started telling incoming patients that there would be an hour-long wait for labs or x-rays. Some folks left but most indicated that they would stay.
The phlebotomist was surprised to see how busy the registration area was when she called me for my blood draw. She said that they are short-staffed and that many people either don't want to work or have been exposed to Covid.

Take care there Bette and all the best for tomorrow.

 

[ilovewings]

I was at an outpatient lab of the Beaumont Hospital system in Michigan. I have a specialist appointment tomorrow and found out late yesterday that the physician wanted more current lab results than those from early November. I arrived at the lab at 10:55AM and noticed that the registration area was very busy. There weren't many available seats, and there seemed to be little effort to social distance. People were sitting right next to each other on 2-or-3-cushioned sofas, and I doubt that all were from the same household. I was summoned to a registration desk after about 10 minutes and then waited about 25 minutes before I was taken to the lab for a blood draw. At 11:15, the receptionist started telling incoming patients that there would be an hour-long wait for labs or x-rays. Some folks left but most indicated that they would stay.
The phlebotomist was surprised to see how busy the registration area was when she called me for my blood draw. She said that they are short-staffed and that many people either don't want to work or have been exposed to Covid.

Thanks for letting us know what is going on in the outpatient hospital setting at this point in the pandemic. I am sure what you experienced at Beaumont is happening at hospitals around the country-- lots of patients and short staffed around the country. Good luck with your tests and your appointment tomorrow. Stay safe.

 

[Satchie]

61% of people in ICU are not boosted. 90% are not vaccinated.

Battle is far from over and the hope is we can "ride the Omicron wave".

(Live on BBC news.)

Thanks for info, but I couldn't make the math work and checked some other sources:

"Johnson said that over 60% of people in intensive care with COVID had not received a vaccine."
Amid Omicron surge, UK PM Johnson resists another lockdown

"over 34 million boosters administered, including in England reaching more than 90 per cent of the over-70s and 86 per cent of the over-50s."
Britain can 'ride out omicron wave' without lockdown as Plan B to remain, Boris Johnson confirms

I'm amused by the reference to fighting a battle while riding a wave. Good luck trying to get surfers to go into battle. Good luck trying to convince us that omicron is fun: hey dude, Boris, here comes a heavy one, don't take a header!

Bloody publicists, did his wife come up with that one?

 

[HongKongPhooey]

Thanks for info, but I couldn't make the math work and checked some other sources:

"Johnson said that over 60% of people in intensive care with COVID had not received a vaccine."
Amid Omicron surge, UK PM Johnson resists another lockdown

"over 34 million boosters administered, including in England reaching more than 90 per cent of the over-70s and 86 per cent of the over-50s."

I'm amused by the regerence to fighting a battle while riding a wave. Good luck trying to get surfers to go into battle. Good luck trying to convince us that omicron is fun: hey dude, Boris, here comes a heavy one, don't take a header!

Bloody publicists, did his wife come up with that one?

Covid: Challenging weeks ahead, PM says as UK daily cases top 200,000 - BBC News

He definitely said 90%. It's in here, you have to scroll down a bit.

 

[ilovewings]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/01/04/antiviral-pills-supply-omicron/

Doctors Bemoan limited supply of of game changer anti-viral pill.

Isn't that just perfect. A pill that can save thousands of lives- but there won't be enough of those pills to really make much of a life-saving difference. Perhaps we can buy them when the pandemic ends- just in time for the next pandemic!!!

 

[weepingangel]

The Late Night covid show
Seth Meyers cancels week of 'Late Night' shows after testing positive for Covid-19 - CNN

Jimmy Fallon says he tested positive for Covid-19 - CNN

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Take care there Bette and all the best for tomorrow.

Thanks. My labs have already been posted, and everything is just fine. My PCP tends to panic when test results aren't to her liking, so it isn't really urgent for me to see the nephrologist.

 

[EGirl]

So my husband was sent to be tested by his employer yesterday because his co worker tested positive. My husband tested positive and just didn't feel like it was right. I was advised to be tested since he was positive. We both went this morning and he was NEGATIVE!? One day after the positive result. Things that make me go 'hmmmmmm.

This was his 5th test by employer, last one was Thursday (Negative), Monday he's positive, today he's negative.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Thanks for letting us know what is going on in the outpatient hospital setting at this point in the pandemic. I am sure what you experienced at Beaumont is happening at hospitals around the country-- lots of patients and short staffed around the country. Good luck with your tests and your appointment tomorrow. Stay safe.

I went to the outpatient lab in Sterling Heights - across the street from Troy Beaumont Hospital. That is the lab that is closest for me; I think the other one is near Somerset Collection. Outpatient labs have long hours and don't require appointments. It's usually not as busy as it was today. Some folks were asking if they could go over to the hospital for labs, but labs and x-rays there are by appointment only. My labs are already posted on my Beaumont chart, and everything is fine. No worries

 

[HongKongPhooey]

So my husband was sent to be tested by his employer yesterday because his co worker tested positive. My husband tested positive and just didn't feel like it was right. I was advised to be tested since he was positive. We both went this morning and he was NEGATIVE!? One day after the positive result. Things that make me go 'hmmmmmm.

This was his 5th test by employer, last one was Thursday (Negative), Monday he's positive, today he's negative.

Unfortunately my understanding is that false negatives are relatively common but false positives are rare. If he can get a PCR test I think that would be advisable.

 

[ilovewings]

I went to the outpatient lab in Sterling Heights - across the street from Troy Beaumont Hospital. That is the lab that is closest for me; I think the other one is near Somerset Collection. Outpatient labs have long hours and don't require appointments. It's usually not as busy as it was today. Some folks were asking if they could go over to the hospital for labs, but labs and x-rays there are by appointment only. My labs are already posted on my Beaumont chart, and everything is fine.

Thanks for the info: It is great how fast you get the info on Beaumont Chart- Same thing at Henry Ford.

 

[tabitha111]

okay, this is downright scary...my friend just called me and told me her grandaughter's boyfriend has Covid. Now, this grandaughter is in her 20's and lives with said bf. In a tiny apartment w/one bathroom with thier less than 1 year old child...oh did I mention the bf is vaxxed but the grandaughter refused to get vaxxed due to worrying about her future "fertility" (ooffta) The plan is to keep bf in a seperate room, okayyyy....but what about eating? well, he will use the kitchen then she will after him or vice versa...what about the bathroom? well, he will clean it after using it (nevermind that they don't realize its airborne)...I wonder how this will all work out.
BTW, this is the "friend" who said I was over reacting the other day...

p.s. he is a manager at a large grocery chain. She is a stay at home mom.

 

[ilovewings]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/01/04/hogan-declares-emergency-coronavirus/

Governor Hogan said that people should consider going back to wearing "those damn masks"----

 

[ilovewings]

okay, this is downright scary...my friend just called me and told me her grandaughter's boyfriend has Covid. Now, this grandaughter is in her 20's and lives with said bf. In a tiny apartment w/one bathroom with thier less than 1 year old child...oh did I mention the bf is vaxxed but the grandaughter refused to get vaxxed due to worrying about her future "fertility" (ooffta) The plan is to keep bf in a seperate room, okayyyy....but what about eating? well, he will use the kitchen then she will after him of vice versa...what about the bathroom? well, he will clean it after using it (nevermind that they don't realize its airborne)...I wonder how this will all work out.
BTW, this is the "friend" who said I was over reacting the other day...

I fear there isn't much that can be done about those closed quarters living arrangements. There are probably lots of people in that same situation: Not ideal for sure but for them it is reality. Hoping the baby does not get sick!