Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #31

[Seattle1]

UPDATE -- Please take note which age group has the highest confirmed % cases! IMO, the young are definitely (minor symptom) unsuspected carriers of the virus and why all ages need to stay home and mindful of distancing.

Maria Medina‏Verified account @MariaKPIX
The numbers hold the message. Of the 4,226 U.S. confirmed COVID-19 cases, nearly half were analyzed by the CDC (because the ages were known), and:

6% were age 85 or older

25% were 65-84 yrs old

18% were 55-64 yrs old

18% were 45-54 yrs old

29% were ages 20-44 yrs old

6:20 PM - 19 Mar 2020

 

[Boston Corbett]

Before Virus Outbreak, a Cascade of Warnings Went Unheeded (NYT)

 

[afitzy]

NY - Long Island Mom Describes Her COVID19 Experience - VIDEO:

https://nypost.com/2020/03/20/coron...&tpcc=nypbreaking&mpweb=755-8706899-719837703


Quotes from Article:

Long Island mom Diana Berrent, 45, learned that she tested positive Wednesday for coronavirus after days of experiencing terrible aches, nausea and a fever. Today, she takes us through her battle to secure a COVID-19 test at a Port Washington urgent care center.

I’m no germaphobe (I bathed in the Ganges last year along with 50 million others at the Kumbh Mela; my friends and family thought I was insane) but this virus scared me and as a news junkie I had been following it from its first reports.

SEE ALSO
View attachment 239463
How a Long Island mom with coronavirus is parenting while quarantined
In the last several weeks, my anxiety increased and I started limiting my outings into any crowded places, avoided public transportation and made my kids, 11 and 13, strip out of their clothes every day upon entering the house from school, shower and change. I was doing A LOT of laundry.

And then, just like that, I became one of the first people in my area to be infected.

After waking up eight days ago with every symptom in the book I begged for a test (recall that last week was about a year ago and schools were still open and offices hadn’t been closed); I was tremendously fearful of having already passed on the virus, perhaps to those more vulnerable than me, and wanted to report it if I indeed was positive.

Enlarge Image
Diana BerrentCourtesy of Diana Berrent
I was denied the test on the basis of not being able to prove ten minutes of prolonged close exposure to someone who had already tested positive. Incensed about this Catch 22 (how can you prove contact with someone who is positive if no one can be tested so no one knows if they are positive?) I wrote a letter to my local representatives and posted the letter on Facebook. The post went viral (pun intended) and after further aggravation at yet another testing site the next day my Congressman reached out to me, having been alerted to my situation through social media, and made sure I was tested.

And… indeed, I was positive.

Thank goodness I self-isolated in my bedroom the moment I showed symptoms. And I remain here through March 28th, the Department of Health’s recommendation of two weeks from the date of testing.

I’m finally starting to feel better but had a rough number of days at the beginning, with fever, a respiratory infection, tremendous nausea and an unrelenting headache. Added to the usual mix of flu-like aches and pains.

 

[zecats]

New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania are coordinating efforts together. It gives me a sense of security as it seems they are the only governors taking this virus seriously.

In my world, that's shutting down the entire nation. I'm glad their shutting down all non-essential businesses this "early". The rest of you are on your own. Without a coordinated effort, people will cross state lines. Just because your state's numbers aren't high, doesn't mean the virus is going away. Shut it down now before it spreads.

New York's Cuomo took note of that early on when he shut down bars and restaurants, then New Yorker's just came over to Jersey to party.



N.Y., N.J., Pennsylvania, Connecticut jointly announce more business closures

You can add Delaware to that list. Cuomo mentioned that on morning presser.

 

[JerseyGirl]

What is considered an essential employee in a business? I work in a mortgage department in a bank. We are not paperless so can't work from home. How important is getting a loan at this point? I am not sure. would love to hear your thoughts

To give you an example, here is a list of essential employees:

What is considered an 'essential' business during the coronavirus outbreak?

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered 100% of the workforce in nonessential services to stay at home due to the spike in COVID-19 cases in the state.

 

[astheworldfallsdown]

Emergency Covid-19 legislation signed into law by President Higgins after passing in the Seanad

(Ireland)

PRESIDENT MICHAEL D Higgins has this evening signed the emergency Covid-19 legislation into law, after it was earlier passed in the Seanad.

Yesterday, a limited number of TDs attended Leinster House, in order to pass the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Bill 2020.

Today, similar attendance restrictions were in place in the Seanad.

Having been passed by both Houses, it has now been signed into law by President Michael D Higgins.

He said in a statement: “As President, I am urging all citizens, given the emergency of our situation in relation to the grave challenge to our public health, to respond in a generous way to the Health Service Executive’s advice on measures to alleviate the spread of Covid-19.

Speaking to senators earlier today, Heath Minister Simon Harris said: “Doctors will save hundreds of lives during this crisis, but the people of Ireland can save thousands.”

He urged people not to be out socialising this weekend.

The Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Bill 2020, which can be read here, provides for changes to remove the waiting period for payment of Jobseeker’s Benefit and Jobseeker’s Allowance in cases related to Covid-19 diagnoses and isolation.

The Bill also deals with the issue of detainment if someone is either diagnosed or suspected to be a source of the virus.

 

[Sundog]

Chinese doctor breaks down in tears as he meets his son for the first time after fighting coronavirus for 55 days - but can't hug the boy due to infection concerns

Doctor in tears as he meets his son after 55 days - but they can't hug due to infection concerns | Daily Mail Online

So very moving and yet hard to watch. And they told us that coronavirus is also shed in a person's tears. Glad that these medics received a hero's welcome as they returned to their honetowns.

EBM to separate original post from my response. Hope this works.

 

[afitzy]

NY - Westchester County Patient Zero - Update:

https://nypost.com/2020/03/18/coron...ountys-spread-awake-and-recovering-wife-says/

Quotes from article:

Westchester County’s patient zero, Lawrence Garbuz, is awake and “on the road to full recovery,” his wife announced on social media Wednesday.

The 50-year-old lawyer was linked to the spread of COVID-19 in New Rochelle, prompting Gov. Andrew Cuomo to instate a mile-radius coronavirus “containment zone” centered on the family’s synagogue.

Garbuz had been in a medically induced coma, sources told The Post last week.

“Lawrence is awake and alert and seems to be on the road to full recovery,” Adina Lewis Garbuz said Wednesday on Facebook.

Adina — who could only speak to Lawrence through video chat — explained that her husband didn’t know what had happened to him.

“Now aware of his diagnosis, he first worries about spreading the virus to others. His second worry is about when he will get to see his family,” Adina said.

“He is trying to comprehend a world where no one goes out, no social gatherings, no religious services, no Purim!!” the post continued.

SEE ALSO

Westchester coronavirus lawyer's family fears contagion will be their legacy

Lawrence — who rode the Metro-North train to get to his Manhattan law firm — hadn’t traveled to any coronavirus hotspot countries and likely contracted the virus from someone locally.

 

[TMAN2014]

What is considered an essential employee in a business? I work in a mortgage department in a bank. We are not paperless so can't work from home. How important is getting a loan at this point? I am not sure. would love to hear your thoughts

That is the question of the day. I guess your state's governor is the King who defined essential employee. In my state PA, beer distributors ARE essential, but not laundry mats. New York also kept open liquor stores. And then we have gun stores! I guess it isn't so easy when the King makes a proclamation who is essential and where.

 

[JerseyGirl]

You can add Delaware to that list. Cuomo mentioned that on morning presser.

Welcome Delaware! We are our own little nation.

 

[SaguaroSpirit]

 

[gregjrichards]

Andy Cohen announces he’s tested positive for coronavirus

Hillary Clinton was on “WWHL” earlier this month and Cohen also posted a photo of himself with James Taylor on March 4. He also recently posted a photo with his good friend Sarah Jessica Parker and her husband Matthew Broderick, who’s sister recently tested positive as well.

https://pagesix.com/2020/03/20/andy-cohen-announces-hes-tested-positive-for-coronavirus/

I really hope Andy and his little boy will be ok.

 

[MyBelle]

I've been on the fence with my feeling about a national lockdown. We need it, should do it, but.....should we not let folks in areas with no active cases continue to work. We need production to continue for food and meat processing plants, factories making medical supplies, etc. Yes, restaurants and bars, social gatherings are a must, closing schools, nationwide, but each local community and state need to make those decisions.

Yes, coming from the one who has a Governor who does NOTHING. The only way Virginia will close is if tbe President or Amazon does it. Amazon owns Northam.

Moo

That's unfortunate. Why aren't the Mayors willing to step up? The sheltering in place doesn't apply to essential workers and I think those who work at manufacturing facilities making essential things like food, surgical masks and other medical supplies are exempt.

JMO

 

[afitzy]

CT - NOT IN MY BACKYARD SAY NEIGHBORS! DARIEN CT CANCELS DRIVE THROUGH FOR COVID19 TESTING AFTER 4 HOURS DUE TO COMPLAINTS FROM NEIGHBORS:

Twitter slams CT town for cancelling coronavirus test site after neighbor complains

Quotes from Article:

About four hours — That’s the time it took between Darien’s First Selectman Jayme Stevenson’s announcement through a town-wide email that there would be a drive-thru COVID-19 test site at town hall — and the cancelation of the site.

Plans for the test site were cancelled amid some opposition from neighbors, though officials have not cited the complaints as the reason for cancellation. As of March 23, a new test site will be operating at Darien High School.

Immediately after the original announcement for a site at town hall was posted on The Darien Times website, a woman who said she lives near the proposed location expressed strong opposition to the test site on the newspaper’s Facebook page.

She said the town didn’t receive notice from its leaders ahead of time. She also said there are children who live on the street in front of town hall, as well as the surrounding streets.

The story caught the attentions of national news outlets like Buzzfeed whose senior culture editor tweeted out "The town of Darien Connecticut cancelled a drive-through Coronavirus testing site because NEIGHBORS COMPLAINED."


Anne Helen Petersen

✔@annehelen
https://twitter.com/annehelen/status/1241033463991435264

The town of Darien Connecticut cancelled a drive-through Coronavirus testing site because NEIGHBORS COMPLAINED https://www.darientimes.com/news/article/Town-of-Darien-to-offer-drive-through-coronavirus-15140106.php …


Town of Darien to offer drive-through coronavirus testing
In partnership with Murphy Medical Associates, the Town of Darien is pleased to announce the establishment of a drive-through COVID-19 test site in the lower parking lot at Darien Town Hall, located...

darientimes.com

7,372
4:06 PM - Mar 20, 2020


Dylan Matthews of Vox retweeted the story commenting "Darien is the worst town in America, change my mind."


dylan matthews

✔@dylanmatt
https://twitter.com/dylanmatt/status/1241039945176842242

Darien is the worst town in America, change my mind https://twitter.com/annehelen/status/1241033463991435264 …

Anne Helen Petersen

✔@annehelen

The town of Darien Connecticut cancelled a drive-through Coronavirus testing site because NEIGHBORS COMPLAINED https://www.darientimes.com/news/article/Town-of-Darien-to-offer-drive-through-coronavirus-15140106.php …


850
4:32 PM - Mar 20, 2020

But not all residents are opposed. In fact, several hours later, when the test site was cancelled, many people expressed their disappointment and strongly urged Stevenson to reconsider on the Darien Times Facebook page. Some users said that in light of all the people who are very sick and dying from the virus, Darien residents should not be playing the “not in my backyard game.”

"I don’t understand how someone could react negatively to this. Pearl clutching and tantrums are counterproductive. Is the issue that residents don’t want it in their backyard? I’d happily volunteer my home and property to get this done," another user wrote. [BBM]

In an email to The Darien Times, Stevenson wrote she decided to cancel the initial test site because there were some challenges with the original site selection.

 

[zencompass]

Dear @Tricia,

Will a forum be created soon just for COVID-19?

It will be really good because then we can start separate threads on different aspects of dealing with this.

Thanks so much in advance!

Best regards,
Zen

@Tricia messaged me back and said the new forum will be set up within a few days.

This way, there can be threads for certain regional areas, updates on research, encouraging ideas when social distancing, advice...

Thank you so much @Tricia!

I'm so greatly appreciative of everyone's postings here with updates and accurate advice.

You are all so amazing on this essential thread! I have learned so much from your posts.

Please keep taking good care of yourselves!

 

[MsArk]

Just hang in and know, even though this may take awhile, it will pass and we will be able to get back to some form of normalcy again. Remember, to do some nice things for yourself so you can relax and alleviate some of the worry. I will pray for you. It is not easy. Stay safe.

I know you were not replying to me but thank you. I need to hear that this too shall pass.

 

[LadyL]

I don't know if this doctor of infectious diseases is correct or not, but he claims if all people were vegetarians, there wouldn't be any pandemics. The problem for pandemics is that people and animals live so close together.
Professorn: Inga pandemier om alla hade varit vegetarianer

yep all the major epidemics are related to animal ag. - vegan is better than vegetarian IMO

 

[Gardener1850]

This is kind of dumb, but I keep thinking I'd rather go ahead and get it now instead of later.

Not dumb at all. I kind of hoped we had it this week when DH tested for it because we were able to treat the symptoms we had at home, plus I knew my local hospital was not overrun and out of supplies yet if we suddenly turned critical. And I wanted to have immunity to be able to help others more. Now I'm more scared of getting it in the future and not being able to get medical care if we have a bad case. We're hunkered down for a good long time now and praying most people will exercise the common sense to do that too. We need everyone who can do so to self-isolate at the same time in order to slow the spread to a manageable number of people. MOO.

 

[Reasonable & Just]

I think it should be up to the Governors, and not to the President. I would not like the President to try and overrule each Governor and take control of each State government. I think there would be a lot of blowback and controversy if the President gave a National Order of total lockdown. That is unprecedented.

The Governors should be the ones to make that decision, in my opinion.

I have to say that I totally agree. We need to think long and hard about what a national lockdown would mean.

 

[FrostOwl]

The Danish freetown Christiania, in the middle of Copenhagen, is closing its borders, as there are too many visitors coming there, due to the lockdown of Denmark.
Corona: Christiania lukker for gæster og turister
Freetown Christiania - Wikipedia