Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #53

[Tillicum]

Well, now I'm crying. That was beautiful. And heartfelt.

Heck Hubby's crying with me.

 

[Tillicum]

Warning:
This is way too long so feel free to skim or skip
I'm grateful for a safe place to say my feelings
(Feel free to send me a bill for therapy)

I have read your stories of the heartache and internal struggles of not being able to see grandkids, elderly parents, or grandparents

I AM the elderly parent, grandparent, and great-grandparent
(Re: great-grandchildren The best thing ever!
Whoever thought of that should get a gold star)

I also am debating daily with myself

My children are in their 40's
They get it
They also have lives, so we weren't seeing each other constantly before the coronavirus

My grandchildren are in their early 20's
They don't truly get it
They could tell me what stay at home means, but you know, they're out their living their best lives as they say
They all still have teenagery behavior so if we dont see each other in person right now, that's ok by me
Sometimes that had to happen before the coronavirus

But the great-grandchildren...
They are toddlers
Their understanding is that there is a virus (they know that word, but not, you know, what it means), that might make us sick, so we cant go to the store
So...
Basically they think I have been taking a nap since late February because that's what I tell them when we talk on the phone and they want me to come play
I say I can't because I have to take a nap
It only works because they are so little
It doesn't occur to them that I couldn't have really been taking a nap for 2+months

So they keep asking me when I wake up (as I'm talking to them), (they're little), can I come over to play

And I keep saying yes because I dont know what else to say

But my greatest fear in all of this, is that I will die of natural causes without having hugged the people I love

Hold on a little longer darlin. Just keep holding on. Hugs and prayers for you

 

[katydid23]

Don't shoot me, but I don't scrub groceries or mail.

For those who do, are you feeling safer?

My main things are handwashing, masking up, and some homemade hand sanitizer in my car. Also, social distancing, and never meeting face to face so to speak in the grocery. I turn to the side so my face isn't pointed at anyone.

I am not actually scrubbing groceries or mail either.

But I do take it out of the mailbox and go place it on the back patio, in the sun on a small table, with rocks on it to keep it from blowing away. lol

I leave to non-refrigerated groceries in the garage for a few days unless it's something we really needed immediately. If so, I will put it in a plastic container and throw away the packaging.

 

[Kensie]

Michael Jordan STILL selling out with sneakers is insanity also.

You gotta look cool during this pandemic even if you cannot pay your bills. Unreal.

 

[Kensie]

People seem to think that because shutdown is over, the virus is over. They are sadly mistaken. We didn't contain the virus. We have new cases every day. And they are going to go up because a lot of people are not taking precautions.

I agree with you 120 percent. This is a huge concern of mine and is one of my anxiety triggers. Took the pups for their daily ride today and people were everywhere. I am glad I live on 55 acres and can work at home for at least for another week or two. It will be months before I will feel comfortable going back to work but I will have to soon because I need my income.

 

[otto]

Could probably do it if no one was too hung up about whether or not it was effective.

Promises of a non-existent vaccine being delivered at the same speed as the virus test!

 

[Kensie]

Heck Hubby's crying with me.

You are so lucky to have such an emphatic husband.

 

[Kensie]

Michigan has the nation's highest COVID-19 death rate

I wonder why?? Any ideas anyone???

 

[mickey2942]

You gotta look cool during this pandemic even if you cannot pay your bills. Unreal.

Got $1200 bucks. Need new kicks.

 

[BUF]

Rural Texas hospitals and clinics on brink of closure as state prepares to reopen from coronavirus shutdown

This was featured on 60 Minutes tonight. Horrible situation.

 

[PingTheRouter]

I wonder why?? Any ideas anyone???

i'll take " people who refuse to stay inside" for $800 alex

 

[The Night Watchman]

Just saw one of the researchers at IHME in an interview on TV, probably CNN. IHME does CV models and is one of the sources that our governments refers to for guidance.

Previous IHME models always showed the U.S. death peak dropping to zero within 4-6 weeks assuming current social distancing. New models have input the new relaxing guidelines state by state, and the outlook is bleak. I just turned it on and I believe it showed a fairly high death rate remain constant for the next few months, instead of going to zero. Pretty sure it was a death total of 200,000, instead of the current 72,000.

The models are not on-line yet, but I will post when they are.

IHME has been pretty accurate and fully transparent, but I doubt we will see a bleak outlook. We now know who to protect much more accurately, and as a result senior living centers have adapted closer to proper and safe policy. Over 50% of CV deaths were in these facilities and I don't see that repeating going forward. I also see the vulnerable people taking much more care in their own protection.

 

[cody22]

NYPD officers fan out across New York City to enforce social distancing

New York City Virus News....moo

 

[weepingangel]

Ahh Massachusetts hotspots
Massachusetts communities with dirty air are coronavirus hotspots - The Boston Globe

When Massachusetts released town-by-town coronavirus infection rates earlier this month, those that topped the list made alarming sense to environmental activists and public health experts.
That’s because the six communities that have been hardest hit by the virus — Chelsea, Brockton, Everett, Lynn, Randolph, and Lawrence — were all previously designated by the state as “environmental justice" communities. Each has a high percentage of minority, low-income residents, and each has high rates of asthma and other environmentally-related respiratory diseases, in part because of pollution.

Researchers are beginning to see clear correlations between long-term exposure to air pollution and COVID mortality rates — anationwide study from Harvardresearchers this month found that long-term exposure to air pollution increases the risk of dying from the coronavirus.

The Massachusetts cities and towns with the highest rates of coronavirus | Boston.com

Massachusetts releases new town-by-town coronavirus infection data

@Chelly
@Spider92

 

[katydid23]

Michigan has the nation's highest COVID-19 death rate

I wonder why?? Any ideas anyone???

"Experts also said the virus is hitting poverty stricken and more marginalized communities harder.

Kent County and Genesee County have exactly 1,600 confirmed cases, but while Kent has 36 reported deaths, Genesee County has 192.

The poverty rate in Genesee County is more than double Kent County."

I think it is the poverty rate that is having such an impact. Patients with underlying conditions such as obesity, diabetes, asthmatic conditions are the most vulnerable.
And the air quality in those neighbourhoods is very poor.

Low income neighbourhoods have very high rates of those underlying conditions.

On top of that, many essential workers have lower paying jobs and live in these working class neighbourhoods. They don't have the privilege of working at home as often.,

 

[weepingangel]

Rural Texas hospitals and clinics on brink of closure as state prepares to reopen from coronavirus shutdown
This was featured on 60 Minutes tonight. Horrible situation.

oh. Rural hospitals/healthcare has had it tough for a while. No supplies /staff /money etc. I remember reading a bit about it a few years ago. Also I haven’t seen much ( but don’t look too much outside the links provided here) about Native Americans and the current virus situation on reservations. I’m guessing it can’t be good.

 

[Spider92]

Random thoughts - we’ve had numerous nursing homes with just awful numbers. Rsbm..
If you didnt look at the Walmarts, grocery stores and Lowe’s/Home Depot you’d think people were staying home. Way to much boredom shopping going on IMO.

Yes! We did a hike in northeastern MA yesterday and passed a Lowe's - the parking lot was packed! Presumably a lot of people doing spring yard work. Luckily the trail we found today had only one other hiker - nice day to social distance with Mother Nature.

 

[Deleted member 39678]

Exclusive: Sacramento has the lowest coronavirus infection rate of any large U.S. metro area

Sacramento health chief Beilenson pointed out other data that he says may tell the story better: The county’s hospitals has assembled a combined 600 beds for virus patients, in case there were a major surge. But as of Friday, only 59 COVID-19 patients were being treated in county hospitals. The county’s peak was 105 patients on April 3.

Read more here: https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article242451546.html#storylink=cpy

 

[tmar]

Millions could die from COVID-19 in poor countries, war surgeon warns

10 hrs ago

...
A surgeon who treats people in wars and disasters has warned that millions of people could die from COVID-19 in low income countries.
David Nott, a trauma surgeon from Wales who has volunteered in crisis and conflict zones, says there is only a short amount of time before the most vulnerable parts of the planet are hit by coronavirus.

He has written a paper on COVID-19 for The Lancet journal warning that action must be taken now or the consequences will be dire.

Speaking to Sky News on Saturday, Dr Nott said: "We really need to start doing something to get on top of this. If we don't there'll be millions of people [dying]."

In the paper, he said: "The main positive influences on reducing the number of deaths from COVID-19 have been handwashing, social distancing, and the lockdown.
"For the most vulnerable people on this planet, such strategies are not an option. People who live in conflict zones or in refugee camps cannot physically distance, they cannot self-isolate, they have inadequate facilities for washing, and are often without access to health care.

"In fragile settings, there is no massive infrastructure like the NHS. There are few ventilators... there is no piped oxygen, electrical power cuts are common, and the health workforce capacity is unlikely to be enough to deal with even a small number of COVID-19 cases, never mind the potential of thousands of deaths from this disease."
...
He said most vulnerable countries were places like Yemen, Chad, northern Syria and South Sudan.
...

 

[tmar]

Boris Johnson feared he wouldn't live to see his child born during coronavirus battle

Ryan Merrifield
1 hour ago
...
Boris Johnson has said he feared he would not live to see his baby son born, as he battled coronavirus in intensive care.

The Prime Minister was asked if he had ever feared he might not live to meet Wilfred, who was born on Wednesday, in an interview with The Sun.

"Well, yes, of course," he replied. "We've all got a lot to live for, a lot to do, and I won't hide it from you, I was thinking about that, yes."

Mr Johnson, 55, said he was "deeply frustrated that I couldn't see the path...the way out of the skip" as he fought for his life at St Thomas' Hospital in central London.
...
Mr Johnson had also revealed that doctors were preparing to announce his death as he fought coronavirus.
...