Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #50

[slowpoke]

The new "first patient" in Santa Clara (who died February 7) had been to Wuhan, IIRC. Came back feeling sick, rode in a taxi, went to a restaurant, went to a grocery store, etc. The taxi driver didn't get CV. Neither did anyone at that restaurant, neither did anyone at that grocery store. So in addition to finding this person, the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner's office is doing contact tracing. I assume they've done serological testing on all those people (maybe not, though - the full study isn't published yet).

Meanwhile, another patient showed up in Washington and another in Santa Clara. The entire west coast has lots of connections to Asia and there's tons of manufacturing of electronics in Wuhan, so people besides Chinese-Americans go back and forth.

The same strain carried by that Feb 7 patient is the one that first showed up in New York, apparently. Many West Coast CV victims have a different strain to that one.

Wow, interesting info about the first coronavirus patient who died (Feb 7). I can’t find this info, though. Would you be so kind to share a link? I’d like to read more on this. Thanks.

 

[katydid23]

Many companies have spent billions on buying back stock rather than investing in increasing employee benefits, R & D, or as a cushion against hard times. Now these same companies are seeking bailouts, like Boeing. And since the price of their stock is tied to compensation of their CEO's and executives, the windfall only reaches a select few.

So do we then allow Boeing and these other large companies to go bankrupt instead of giving them bailouts? Will that help us?

 

[branmuffin]

Vegas is probably more economically crippled by this than anywhere else. Opening Las Vegas should not be left in business owners hands, obviously.

I go to Vegas many times a year. I canceled my April trip and rescheduled for August, and can cancel again as needed. Casinos are talking about measures to minimize risk-

Dealers wearing masks.
3 instead of 5 or 6 players at table games.
Every other slot tuned off.
Poker games with half seats removed, and less tables.

I'm not hopeful for the Vegas experiment, unless the brutal heat of summer helps. Amazing low humidity there though, unfortunate though for suppressing a virus.

Here is a typical poker room. Players at tables close together and breathing on each other. What could go wrong?

View attachment 244015

Yes, that is a recipe for disaster. Include the alcohol quotient and you have a lot of jovial individuals laughing and breathing on each other, too. Killing off your clients is never a good plan.

Relying on a single commodity for your economic success has its own set of problems.

 

[Tony1902]

@KALI hope it gets better for you. I’d love to go to a restaurant again, like in “The Before Time” (that’s not original it’s from the Go Fug Yourself blog thing whatever. They’re calling this “The Situation”) If I weren’t part Irish & English I’d call it The Troubles.

Crone rant coming:
Went to local hardware & garden shop to get compost & manure & tools the former garden worker stole went I went to visit DrTony in his sojourn in San Joaquin Valley.
No one social distancing. Whole families in there. No one wearing masks. So I yelled to a worker I know who’s my age ‘Hey H where’s your mask?’ Then she made a smart reply. I engaged, escalating. In the space of 4 seconds I went into full-tilt boogie lecture mode. Then I stopped. She laughed hysterically & announced to the 11 people including children running around like maniacs touching everything, mom touching every hanging basket to decide which one she wanted & said “It’s ok, she’s from New Orleans!” I just sniffed & stomped out, wagging my finger.

On to a glass of inferior white wine. Jeez Louise I’ll never be able to go back to not washing 20 times a day. Damn, crap in a basket, I just wanted to slap the whole lot of them!!! Ah happy y’all are here, even if it’s just scroll & roll due to my quite lengthy rants. -

 

[Inthedetails]

Right. And I was asking the same question, about large restaurant chains. Why do we assume they don't need these loans? I don't know for sure they do or don't. But I am assuming that they are not taking in any money at Ruth Chris right now. And I bet they have a lot of inventory going bad and being thrown out. And a lot of employees needing checks and a lot of vendors and suppliers wanting to be paid.

How long can they go on paying employees without having any income?

Exactly why I'm wondering if companies had to show need to get the forgivable loans. I would think that larger companies have cushions they can tap that smaller companies just don't have - or are even bigger companies surviving on a couple month's worth of income perpetually? (If that's the case, they might want to fix that situation. Wonder if execs could reduce their salaries, for example?)

jmo

 

[Seattle1]

Yes, I do. That is why I spent 3 frustrating days filling out applications, and collecting the supporting required documents. We have not received a penny.

^^sbm

I think this is part of the problem - the CARES act was designed for "small business" but somehow larger businesses snapped up all the money first IMO leaving the small business owners with nothing. Payroll reports were the main requirements - there didn't seem to be a "need" based assessment at least from those that I know who received the money and those that did not.
JMO

Big businesses were able to snap up the PPP dollars designated for small businesses because the program was touted as "first come first serve" which provided the perfect window for the ugly 100+ Public Companies to cut in line days before the program gained congressional approval. The small businesses in need were scrambling to comply with the SBA loan application checklist and trying to get through the 800 number when the big boys were already on direct dial -- if not called by their bankers first! Let me be clear, they were not looking for the forgivable loans but very cheap dollars.

The reality is that all these large firms were fed the details by the Washington insiders and lobbyists before the bill was signed. And I promise the same thing is going on right now while politicians have been horse-trading behind closed doors for days as part of the art to refill the program dollars.

Is it any wonder that having been caught, they're all pledging to give back the money?

ETA: add link
Ruth's Chris and other chain restaurants got big PPP loans when small business' couldn't - CNN

As a result of a heavily lobbied exemption, larger food-service operations landed $10 million loans from the PPP. These include Potbelly (PBPB) Sandwich Shop and Shake Shack (SHAK), which has upward of $100 million in cash on hand, as well as Fiesta Restaurant Group Inc (FRGI)., the owner of Taco
Cabana.

 

[Deleted member 158085]

“But one thing we know for sure. We will celebrate the Fourth of July in New York City this year,” he said, adding, “We will find a way to put on a show that will show people how much we love our country, how much we want to celebrate everything great about this city and this nation.”

However, de Blasio said, “We don’t know exactly what it’s going to look like.”

https://nypost.com/2020/04/22/de-blasio-macys-july-4th-fireworks-show-will-happen-amid-coronavirus/

de Blasio better be careful. Of course, Cuomo can stop any idiocy he comes up with.

 

[rodneymullenmg]

How will CEOs and executives survive if we dont allow them to take support intended for mom and pop shops??? America will fail if not right?

I guess it depends on ones perspective.

America is most importantly CEOs and Corporations

vs

America is most importantly hard working people who’s labor corporations profit off

 

[branmuffin]

So do we then allow Boeing and these other large companies to go bankrupt instead of giving them bailouts? Will that help us?

Maybe the bailouts should come with some rules. It's the Wild West out there when it comes to funds being used to feather the nests of a select few. As for Boeing, they already showed little regard for their customers when they tried to downplay the Max 737's shortcomings that cost people their lives. Shameful behavior. JMO

 

[Inthedetails]

Yes, that is a recipe for disaster. Include the alcohol quotient and you have a lot of jovial individuals laughing and breathing on each other, too. Killing off your clients is never a good plan.

Relying on a single commodity for your economic success has its own set of problems.

Bingo! (Or jackpot in this case, lol) jmo

 

[rodneymullenmg]

Many companies have spent billions on buying back stock rather than investing in increasing employee benefits, R & D, or as a cushion against hard times. Now these same companies are seeking bailouts, like Boeing. And since the price of their stock is tied to compensation of their CEO's and executives, the windfall only reaches a select few.

bullseye

 

[Deleted member 158085]

Air-conditioning spread the coronavirus to 9 people sitting near an infected person in a restaurant, researchers say. It has huge implications for the service industry.

Air-conditioning spread the coronavirus to 9 people sitting near an infected person in a restaurant, researchers say. It has huge implications for the service industry.

This is extremely disturbing.

 

[rodneymullenmg]

This is extremely disturbing.

But but but we should open up restaurants right?

 

[Inthedetails]

This is extremely disturbing.

I agree!

Great time to be someone who figures out healthy air flow indoors?? So many indoor offices, etc. don't even have windows that open.

jmo

 

[Reasonable & Just]

@KALI hope it gets better for you. I’d love to go to a restaurant again, like in “The Before Time” (that’s not original it’s from the Go Fug Yourself blog thing whatever. They’re calling this “The Situation”) If I weren’t part Irish & English I’d call it The Troubles.

Crone rant coming:
Went to local hardware & garden shop to get compost & manure & tools the former garden worker stole went I went to visit DrTony in his sojourn in San Joaquin Valley.
No one social distancing. Whole families in there. No one wearing masks. So I yelled to a worker I know who’s my age ‘Hey H where’s your mask?’ Then she made a smart reply. I engaged, escalating. In the space of 4 seconds I went into full-tilt boogie lecture mode. Then I stopped. She laughed hysterically & announced to the 11 people including children running around like maniacs touching everything, mom touching every hanging basket to decide which one she wanted & said “It’s ok, she’s from New Orleans!” I just sniffed & stomped out, wagging my finger.

On to a glass of inferior white wine. Jeez Louise I’ll never be able to go back to not washing 20 times a day. Damn, crap in a basket, I just wanted to slap the whole lot of them!!! Ah happy y’all are here, even if it’s just scroll & roll due to my quite lengthy rants. -

This entire post made me laugh! Glad you are here, too

 

[margarita25]

I'm so thankful that the ship arrived, and I'm even more thankful it wasn't needed.

Bon voyage and thank you!

jmo

I was expecting that ship to be overloaded and one big nightmare. Glad I was wrong about that.

 

[katydid23]

How will CEOs and executives survive if we dont allow them to take support intended for mom and pop shops??? America will fail if not right?

I guess it depends on ones perspective.

America is most importantly CEOs and Corporations

vs

America is most importantly hard working people who’s labor corporations profit off

I am not talking about CEOS and executives. I am talking about businesses that need to keep running. Businesses who employ workers.

There are many mom and pop shops that are getting loans now too. I know a few whose loans are pending.

I am not saying 'America is most importantly' CEOS and corporations. Those are your words.

 

[Deleted member 158085]

I agree!

Great time to be someone who figures out healthy air flow indoors?? So many indoor offices, etc. don't even have windows that open.

jmo

And this is the thing my mom misses the most - lunch in tiny cafes here distancing is impossible.

 

[Deleted member 158085]

The Navy's floating hospital ship USNS Comfort, brought in to assist with the COVID-19 pandemic, is leaving New York City and returning to Norfolk, Virginia.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told President Donald Trump during a visit to the White House that his state no longer needed the ship.

Trump confirmed Tuesday that the ship would be headed back to its base in Virginia in preparation to be sent to another state.

Coronavirus NJ: Navy hospital ship Comfort no longer needed in New York, heading home

Florida will need it soon enough IMO.

 

[margarita25]

Tonight at 7 pm EST

The brightest stars from New Jersey will come together remotely Wednesday to put on a one-night concert to raise funds to help fight COVID-19 in the Garden State.

Jersey 4 Jersey is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Eastern and last one hour. The benefit will air on multiple television networks and radio networks in New Jersey, Philadelphia, and New York City. headlined by New Jersey natives Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi.

Providing musical performance from their homes will be Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa, Tony Bennett, Halsey, Charlie Puth, SZA, Fountains of Wayne, and Jon Bon Jovi, who recently canceled his tour so out-of-work fans can get full refunds on their tickets.

The night will also feature several guest appearances by Chris Rock, Jon Stewart, Danny DeVito, Whoopi Goldberg, Chelsea Handler, Kelly Ripa, and New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley, among others.


David Bryan, Bon Jovi keyboardist and Broadway composer, has beaten COVID-19, the rocker announced Sunday, April 19 on social media.

“Got my test back today. Thankfully I’m Covid-19 negative!” Bryan, 58, said. “Five weeks to the day that I got sick ... I’m a very lucky guy! (star emoji) There are people who have no symptoms, people who got sick (like me), people fighting for their lives and people who sadly have lost their lives. This is a nasty virus BUT science/medicine will conquer all.”

Bryan's wife, Lexi Quaas, also was diagnosed with the coronavirus but was asymptomatic.

Bruce Springsteen, Chris Rock and other New Jersey natives to come together tonight

David Bryan, Bon Jovi keyboardist and Broadway composer, has beaten the coronavirus

How to watch

Apple Music and AppleTV apps worldwide and broadcast live and rebroadcast five times on SiriusXM's E Street Radio (currently free on the SiriusXM app) and carried on WABC Channel 7, WPVI 6ABC, WPIX, News12, NJTV. Social media posts will also be shared with the hashtag #jersey4jersey.

Jersey 4 Jersey benefit show: How to watch, listen, live stream

Jersey 4 Jersey benefit concert live stream: When it starts & how to watch

Sweet!