Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #47

[NuttMegg]

The 64-year-old Sioux Falls man, Augustín Rodriguez, showed up for every one of his shifts at Smithfield Foods, where he worked for nearly two decades. Augustín kept coming to work even after he began experiencing COVID-19 symptoms like fever and cough because he needed to work.

It wasn't until there was sharp pain in his side that he called in sick three days before he was hospitalized on April 4, his wife said. On April 9, she received a call from Avera telling her to self-quarantine because her husband tested positive for COVID-19.

He was placed on ventilators for about two weeks. He died Tuesday morning.

The elephant in the room is that he kept coming to work even after he began experiencing COVID-19 symptoms like fever and cough...nowhere in the article did it say that Smithfield required him to.

Unless there is more to the story and I doubt there is, or it would have been reported, Augustin may be have played a big role in why the plant was shut down. The justification is that he needed to work. What, like that makes sense in this environment. And others may die because of it, and hundreds of others out of work. Not the martyr I'm looking for.

Now let's see the headline again-
‘I lost him because of that horrible place’: Smithfield worker dies from COVID-19

The media has incredible power to craft a story, but beware of what you read and hear.

Wow, I don't agree at all. After the plant had the first victim, they cleaned, provided hand sanitizers, kept the plant open with normal hours and GET THIS: Offered a 500$ "responsibilty" bonus if the workers didn't miss any time in April. This was after they knew they had a problem in the plant.

 

[katydid23]

If it was free I would take it and pasteurize it myself. It's not hard to do even if you don't have a home pasteurizer.
https://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/pasteurize-raw-milk-at-home

I don't think they are legally allowed to give it to you, even if you plan to pasteurise it yourself.

My grandparents had a dairy farm in Northern Cali. When I think back to my childhood, I now wonder if they used to give us raw milk? My Grandma called it 'fresh milk' and used to stir it up before pouring it in our glasses. And she spoke Portuguese way more than she spoke English, lol....so she didnt explain it...maybe it was not pasteurised yet?

Although there was a huge barn with a lot of silver machinery that Grandpa and my uncles poured vats of milk in....maybe that was pasteurizing machinery?

ETA___Wait a minute...YES...just googled it. This was what was in the large concrete building:

 

[LadyL]

Are stimulus checks going to the wrong bank account? For many, yes.
...
Around 80 million people were to receive the deposit this week, the Treasury Department said on Monday. But Wednesday, many people expressed concern and worry when the government website said the cash, up to $1,200 per person, was sent to a bank account that didn't seem to belong to them.
...
The events unfolded in a similar manner for several of the people who reached out to the IRS via Twitter. They would submit their contact information into the government's payout tracking portal, and the results would show that the money was scheduled to be deposited on April 15.

Only, the digits didn't match a bank account people were familiar with.
...

rut roh

 

[BHughes]

California's Newsom announces $125M fund to give coronavirus stimulus checks to immigrants in state illegally

California's Newsom announces $125M fund to give coronavirus stimulus checks to immigrants in state illegally

This makes no sense to me....I admit that I do not know a lot about how illegal immigrants live (jobs or support from government) in California. But still does not sound right.
Couldn't that money be filtered into the small businesses that are hurting the worst?

 

[The Night Watchman]

Wow, I don't agree at all. After the plant had the first victim, they cleaned, provided hand sanitizers, kept the plant open with normal hours and GET THIS: Offered a 500$ "responsibilty" bonus if the workers didn't miss any time in April. This was after they knew they had a problem in the plant.

I hear you. Solid counterpoint.

From the linked article in the original article-

On Thursday, less than 24 hours after state health officials confirmed more than 80 positive cases of the virus at the Sioux Falls meatpacking plant, the company announced its decision to close for three days to clean, sanitize and better equip the plant for social distancing.

But workers say they don't feel safe, and they don't feel a $500 "responsibility bonus" offered by Smithfield starting last week to those who do not miss work in April is sufficient compensation for risking their health or, potentially, their lives.

Smithfield workers asked for safety from COVID-19. Their company offered cash.

I just don't have sympathy for someone who has symptoms and exposes others "because he needed to work". And it appears that Smithfield is indeed implicit in that.

ETA- Augustín Rodriguez was sick before the absurd responsibility bonus was offered based on the timeline. Doesn't make Smithfield any less repulsive...

 

[LadyL]

Wow, I don't agree at all. After the plant had the first victim, they cleaned, provided hand sanitizers, kept the plant open with normal hours and GET THIS: Offered a 500$ "responsibilty" bonus if the workers didn't miss any time in April. This was after they knew they had a problem in the plant.

yeah the 'responsibility' bonus tell me all I need to know about that place of work

 

[MimosaMornings]

I live in South Louisiana where we thrive on fish and seafood from the bayou, lakes and the gulf. My husband and kids waterski in the bayou and lakes. In all my years living in the Deep South, I’ve known of 2 people with the flesh eating vibrio. We have 2 crawfish seasons where there are crawfish boils wherever you turn.

Good idea to check before you go
Texas Beachwatch

 

[firebird]

Wow, I don't agree at all. After the plant had the first victim, they cleaned, provided hand sanitizers, kept the plant open with normal hours and GET THIS: Offered a 500$ "responsibilty" bonus if the workers didn't miss any time in April. This was after they knew they had a problem in the plant.

Interesting. Smithfield is owned by China.

Smithfield Foods - Wikipedia

Smithfield Foods, Inc., is a meat-processing company based in Smithfield, Virginia, in the United States, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of WH Group of China.[a]

https://www.smithfieldfoods.com/pre...oux-falls-sd-plant-indefinitely-amid-covid-19

 

[NuttMegg]

I hear you. Solid counterpoint.

From the linked article in the original article-

On Thursday, less than 24 hours after state health officials confirmed more than 80 positive cases of the virus at the Sioux Falls meatpacking plant, the company announced its decision to close for three days to clean, sanitize and better equip the plant for social distancing.

But workers say they don't feel safe, and they don't feel a $500 "responsibility bonus" offered by Smithfield starting last week to those who do not miss work in April is sufficient compensation for risking their health or, potentially, their lives.

Smithfield workers asked for safety from COVID-19. Their company offered cash.

I just don't have sympathy for someone who has symptoms and exposes others because he needed to work. And it appears that Smithfield is indeed implicit in that.

Oh I agree that he probably knew he had a problem, but I doubt those outfits pay much, there is probably a line of potential workers to take the place of someone who gets sick, we don't even know if he had health insurance or sick leave. Dangle $500 in front of people in those jobs, that's a lot of money.

 

[katydid23]

Asking for opinions. Most of our food supplies will last for at least a couple more weeks but a few essentials will run out in about a week. Should I go out this weekend or wait until next weekend? Will one week lessen the risk of exposure?

I think it depends upon where you are shopping.

I found 2 stores that are taking this seriously. Albertsons and Vallarta Markets, are making me feel comfortable shopping there.

They both have 'senior' shopping hours. They allow just 5 shoppers in at a time, so you don't get too close to anyone.

And the cashier counters had plexiglass and all the employees had masks and customers are asked to wear masks.

If no one can cough or breathe on me, and I wear gloves to avoid touching surfaces, and I don't use the groceries for a few days, letting them decontaminate in the garage---then I feel pretty safe.

I shopped today because I saw the articles about potential meat shortages upcoming---and we were out of eggs and milk.

I feel very confident that I didn't do anything risky today.

 

[Tillicum]

I don't think they are legally allowed to give it to you, even if you plan to pasteurise it yourself.

My grandparents had a dairy farm in Northern Cali. When I think back to my childhood, I now wonder if they used to give us raw milk? My Grandma called it 'fresh milk' and used to stir it up before pouring it in our glasses. And she spoke Portuguese way more than she spoke English, lol....so she didnt explain it...maybe it was not pasteurised yet?

Although there was a huge barn with a lot of silver machinery that Grandpa and my uncles poured vats of milk in....maybe that was pasteurizing machinery?

ETA___Wait a minute...YES...just googled it. This was what was in the large concrete building:

Were they rich? The cheapest one we could find was $30,000. I just ended up using our small home pasteurizer.

 

[NuttMegg]

California's Newsom announces $125M fund to give coronavirus stimulus checks to immigrants in state illegally

California's Newsom announces $125M fund to give coronavirus stimulus checks to immigrants in state illegally

This makes no sense to me....I admit that I do not know a lot about how illegal immigrants live (jobs or support from government) in California. But still does not sound right.
Couldn't that money be filtered into the small businesses that are hurting the worst?

They probably need the labor in the fields.

 

[NuttMegg]

Are stimulus checks going to the wrong bank account? For many, yes.
...
Around 80 million people were to receive the deposit this week, the Treasury Department said on Monday. But Wednesday, many people expressed concern and worry when the government website said the cash, up to $1,200 per person, was sent to a bank account that didn't seem to belong to them.
...
The events unfolded in a similar manner for several of the people who reached out to the IRS via Twitter. They would submit their contact information into the government's payout tracking portal, and the results would show that the money was scheduled to be deposited on April 15.

Only, the digits didn't match a bank account people were familiar with.
...

Omg

 

[Tillicum]

Are stimulus checks going to the wrong bank account? For many, yes.
...
Around 80 million people were to receive the deposit this week, the Treasury Department said on Monday. But Wednesday, many people expressed concern and worry when the government website said the cash, up to $1,200 per person, was sent to a bank account that didn't seem to belong to them.
...
The events unfolded in a similar manner for several of the people who reached out to the IRS via Twitter. They would submit their contact information into the government's payout tracking portal, and the results would show that the money was scheduled to be deposited on April 15.

Only, the digits didn't match a bank account people were familiar with.
...

Glad I'm just waiting for the check to come in the mailbox.

 

[Lilibet]

I am so sorry you went through that. My father was also intubated (COPD, early 70s) and died shortly after.

I'm in my early sixties and I've made sure DH knows that if I get this virus and land in hospital/ICU I do not want to be put on a ventilator.

I’m 74 and I just told my husband the other day that I do NOT want to be put on a ventilator if I get COVID-19. I need to send him some articles that explain why, but he understood when I told him some of the issues involved.

This is definitely a concern for me and my husband, now in our mid 70s. Once intubated, people need to stay on the vent until they get better, which could take weeks, or until they die. And after being on the vent, what condition would our brains be in? Would we have permanent brain damage and be a terrible burden for our loved ones? In that case I sure wouldn't want to survive. This is difficult to think about.

We’re in the same age range and I would not want to come off a ventilator with brain damage. It’s just not a gamble I’m willing to take at this point in my life. If I can’t be kept alive with other minimally invasive methods just let me go. The best way for me to survive this is to stay home!

 

[katydid23]

Why the heck would they start with schools? Unless they're going to have staggered schedules. I'd think they'd start with parks (and limiting numbers of people who can enter and the kind of groups who enter).

Why not religious institutions first and see how it goes? We'd learn a lot from that experience and it's a voluntary experience (as are parks).

What am I missing here?

I am wondering if they are thinking that the youngest are the least vulnerable, over all...?

And maybe that they think the children need to be in school before parents can start going back to work---especially because the grandparents are the most high risk, vulnerable group---and cannot babysit safely?

 

[mickey2942]

If you read that back to work plan from the administration it was leaked by the Washington Post, and supposedly originated by cdc and fda,....anyway I posted it earlier. The back to work plan starts with sending children back to school, or day care or summer camps, justified on getting the parents back to work. Then, IMO the overall gist of the plan is that there is an acceptable level of covid sickness/death, and it just depends on whether the local hospitals can handle it. If there are too many cases, they will mitigate until the level drops a bit until the hospitals can handle it again. Others may interpret the plan differently, but that's how I read it

In other words, it is just old people and people who have other health issues who die.

Get back to work. Nothing to worry about.

That seemed to be more or less the song and dance number we received at work. No, it wasn't that blunt, but it took an hour to "discuss" the plan. And that is what it sounded like to me.

I guess that the fact that my husband is in that category is irrelevant.

 

[Tillicum]

Dr. Fauci endorses Tinder hookups 'if you're willing to take a risk'

 

[katydid23]

As someone who lives in Las Vegas, I feel it was the right call for our Governor to shut everything down. I believe that it could be so much worse here if he hadn't. I want things back to normal just as much as the next person, my husband works in the gaming industry and this has hit us financially. But I want things open when it is the right time. To open any sooner than that would be ridiculous.

I am really worried about Las Vegas. Are people going to feel comfortable flying back to Vegas and going to the casinos and the shows, after we are allowed to?

I love going to our local casino with my friends. But being in a high risk group, over 65 with asthma, I cannot see myself feeling comfortable in that crowded casino, touching chips and slots and being in the crowds.

I hope enough other people feel OK enough to go back and party...

 

[MimosaMornings]

So we stay inside our homes for another few weeks, months, perhaps next year - separated from our family, trying to get food on a regular basis via delivery/pickup, medicine shortages, shut off from friends - while we wait for a vaccine or death from the virus. This is what my elderly aunt and uncle told me this evening.