Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #59

[The Night Watchman]

So, I am clinically obese, and over age 55, does that mean that I can quit my job and get government support for the rest of my life?

Yeah, I don't think so.

That is kind of what I am saying. If you are worried about a dangerous work environment, I would want an option for you to be furloughed and go on full employment during the most dangerous phases of a pandemic, like we are in. This is cheaper for the government than shutting down the economy- by many orders of magnitude. Let the low risk people work and get infected, as they should have little concern about getting back to life.

I can't imagine forcing at-risk people to go back to high-exposure work environments. That seems like a preventable disaster, like health care homes.

 

[CharlestonGal]

Ozark lake weekend partygoers asked to self-quarantine

"Hundreds of partygoers spent their Memorial Day weekend living it up in the waters of the Ozarks and now health officials are asking them to isolate for the next two weeks.

The St. Louis County Department of Health issued an advisory Monday evening urging anyone who recently ignored social distancing guidelines to self-quarantine for 14 days or until they test negative for coronavirus.

St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said he is concerned these revelers could pose a danger when they return to their homes and workplaces.

“This reckless behavior endangers countless people and risks setting us back substantially from the progress we have made in slowing the spread of COVID-19,” he said in a statement."

 

[ilovewings]

Over the past two months, the number of positive tests in the U.S. has only dropped 20%. Bad news- shouldn't we stay locked down?

View attachment 248617

But new deaths have dropped 60% in that time, and the trend is downward.

Good news- the effective death rate of COVID-19 infections is going down significantly (even accounting for any delay in death reporting).

1) senior homes are now better protected
2) vulnerable people are sheltering
3) hospitals are not overcrowded and are prepared
4) nobody was previously prepared to shelter in place until the virus was rampant
5) it is now known that the virus is asymptomatic in many people

The CDC has said the best estimate for CV-19 death rate is 0.27%, which is an order of magnitude lower that the numbers typically thrown out in reporting. This is based on past data, which includes over 50,000 senior living deaths (out of 100,000 deaths in U.S.).

I strongly believe the CV-19 death rate going forward will continue to drop, and will end up between 0.10-0.15%. And a large segment of the population that is not in danger of COVID-19 seems willing and unafraid of being infected. I don't view this as a bad thing.

The virus isn't the boogeyman we were told.

Actually the virus is a virulent killer for those with compromised immune systems which include the elderly, obese, etc. This virus has also appeared in apparently healthy younger people, though most of them do survive. In those people who have died, they died a horrible ugly death: their sickness taxed the health system and the virus also took the lives of health nurses and physicians who were exposed to such a heavy viral load. This virus is attacking children as well, though it is rare. For almost 100,000 people this virus was the boogeyman. There will be more deaths. One of the ugly aspects of this virus is how it is asymptomatic in so many people who then carry the virus to those with immunocompromised systems. There is a huge lack of testing in this country which would demonstrate those asymptomatic folks and isolate them so they could not spread it to the vulnerable
population.

For at least half of our country, the virus
shows no symptoms or only mild symptoms. From what I have read in the past week, cases have spiked in some states: there is a drop in cases in other states.

 

[CharlestonGal]

From the same article. I doubt the outlet had headlines about the 95% ICU beds filled during flu season.

"In the Twin Cities metro area, 87% of ICU beds were full Monday. During the influenza season, it’s not unusual to have ICU beds filled to more than 95% capacity, Smith said."

Not comparable. We don't lock down or socially isolate during flu season.

 

[Simply Southern]

And we play musical number again today....

News to Know for May 26: Mask mandate expected; Monday’s large case increase explained; 3 shot near VCU; Mostly cloudy day ahead

The department apparently performed some maintenance on its reporting system Sunday, which contributed to the larger daily increase on Monday. The new data that came in during that update was added a day later than normal.

 

[Sundog]

That is kind of what I am saying. If you are worried about a dangerous work environment, I would want an option for you to be furloughed and go on full employment during the most dangerous phases of a pandemic, like we are in. This is cheaper for the government than shutting down the economy- by many orders of magnitude. Let the low risk people work and get infected, as they should have little concern about getting back to life.

I can't imagine forcing at-risk people to go back to high-exposure work environments. That seems like a preventable disaster, like health care homes.

The EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) has provided new guidance to employers in relation to the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) so that during the COVID-19 pandemic, employees with disabilities that put them at high risk for complications of the coronavirus may request telework as a reasonable accommodation to reduce their chances of infection during the pandemic. If telework is not possible, an employee may request other reasonable accommodations under the ADA. For example, if you work in a poorly ventilated space, perhaps request working in another building or space, etc.

See #10 of the EEOC guidelines at Pandemic Preparedness in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Note: these guidelines were originally developed during earlier pandemics (HINI, etc.) but have been updated on March 21, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

[firebird]

Not comparable. We don't lock down or socially isolate during flu season.

If it's true that we're so concerned about overwhelming ICU's, a 95% ICU bed usage should be a red alert. Yet it isn't. Not one word about it...ever.

 

[Simply Southern]

The EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) has provided new guidance to employers in relation to the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) so that during the COVID-19 pandemic, employees with disabilities that put them at high risk for complications of the coronavirus may request telework as a reasonable accommodation to reduce their chances of infection during the pandemic. If telework is not possible, an employee may request other reasonable accommodations under the ADA. For example, if you work in a poorly ventilated space, perhaps request working in another building or space, etc.

See #10 of the EEOC guidelines at Pandemic Preparedness in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Note: these guidelines were originally developed during earlier pandemics (HINI, etc.) but have been updated on March 21, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thanks for reposting. We need to keep this in the forefront, it may help some of our members.

 

[CharlestonGal]

That is kind of what I am saying. If you are worried about a dangerous work environment, I would want an option for you to be furloughed and go on full employment during the most dangerous phases of a pandemic, like we are in. This is cheaper for the government than shutting down the economy- by many orders of magnitude. Let the low risk people work and get infected, as they should have little concern about getting back to life.

I can't imagine forcing at-risk people to go back to high-exposure work environments. That seems like a preventable disaster, like health care homes.

I'm not sure how that would work. 138,000,000 Americans are obese, 34,000,000 are diabetic, more than 100,000,000 have hypertension, and nearly half the adult population has heart disease. That's a whole lot of people for the government to support indefinitely. America has an extremely unhealthy population.

 

[jjenny]

From the same article. I doubt the outlet had headlines about the 95% ICU beds filled during flu season.

"In the Twin Cities metro area, 87% of ICU beds were full Monday. During the influenza season, it’s not unusual to have ICU beds filled to more than 95% capacity, Smith said."

Lets not pretend nobody ever talks about the flu deaths or flu season. Lots of articles about flu, especially when vaccination time comes around.

 

[Sundog]

If it's true that we're so concerned about overwhelming ICU's, a 95% ICU bed usage should be a red alert. Yet it isn't. Not one word about it...ever.

At this point in Ohio, there is no shortage of ICU hospital beds. The reopening plan that is currently underway consists of each county public health department in the state monitoring new infections, monitoring hospital capacity, identifying any new developing hot spots quickly, and then implementing appropriate measures, such as potential lock downs, contact tracing, etc. Each county health department is working closely with the Ohio Dept of Health to coordinate this effort, and each county health department is training contact tracers. It appears to be a well-coordinated effort, at least in the two counties where I work and live. And the director of public health for the state is actively engaged with our governor, and together they provide regular press briefings. The message is "safer at home" but the state is reopening nonetheless, and vulnerable populations and people are urged to stay home.

 

[weepingangel]

bahaha I’m sure those folks will self quarantine bahaha

Ozark lake weekend partygoers asked to self-quarantine

"Hundreds of partygoers spent their Memorial Day weekend living it up in the waters of the Ozarks and now health officials are asking them to isolate for the next two weeks.

The St. Louis County Department of Health issued an advisory Monday evening urging anyone who recently ignored social distancing guidelines to self-quarantine for 14 days or until they test negative for coronavirus.

St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said he is concerned these revelers could pose a danger when they return to their homes and workplaces.

“This reckless behavior endangers countless people and risks setting us back substantially from the progress we have made in slowing the spread of COVID-19,” he said in a statement."

 

[Sundog]

Michigan Gov. Whitmer caught in Memorial Day lockdown controversy over husband's reported boat request

 

[CharlestonGal]

Traders sign death waivers as Wall Street reopens, with a few differences

"After being shut down for more than two months, the New York Stock Exchange’s trading floor partially reopened on Tuesday.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo rang the opening bell, alongside NYSE President Stacey Cunningham. The trading floor had been closed since March 23.

“It definitely took a little while to adjust to it,” said Jonathan Corpina, a trader who has been working remotely. This week, he will return to 11 Wall Street with five of his colleagues — fewer than usual.

New rules limit how many traders can be in the building. In addition, nobody is supposed to take public transportation to work. At entrances, medical personnel will take everyone’s temperature, and there will be questionnaires. Inside the building, Corpina and his colleagues will be required to wear masks, and physical distancing will be mandatory."

 

[mickey2942]

bahaha I’m sure those folks will self quarantine bahaha

This is why I don't think that nail salon or hair salon appointments are worth going to. How many of those folks are in that industry, have close contacts in that industry, or go to those appointments?

Every single thing that you do, can seriously have consequences now. So, yeah, I pretty much stay home, go to work, and yes, did see my kids this weekend, outside.

 

[musicaljoke]

Article on President of Purdue University in Indiana and plans for his campus to reopen in the fall. He gives the following statistics on college-age students and covid-19:

".... this bug, so risky in one segment of the population, poses a near-zero risk to young people. Among covid-19 deaths, 99.9 percent have occurred outside the 15-to-24 age group; the survival rate in the 20-to-29 age bracket is 99.99 percent."

I would like to see colleges and universities provide the percentage of their employees (faculty and staff) who are 60+ years of age, and to state how they plan to address their safety. For example, Cal State University Long Beach states that 12% of their employees (faculty and staff) are in the higher risk age group.

Purdue University president says not reopening in the fall would be 'unacceptable'

Higher age staff and faculty are just a portion of the risk group. Age is certainly a risk factor, but it isn't the only one.

 

[CharlestonGal]

Lets not pretend nobody ever talks about the flu deaths or flu season. Lots of articles about flu, especially when vaccination time comes around.

Not to mention that 39,000,000 Americans were infected with flu last year, while less than 2,000,000 have contracted covid so far. Can you imagine how many ICU beds would be needed if 39,000,000 people got covid?

 

[Sundog]

US will pay for companies to bring supply chains home from China: Kudlow

 

[dotr]

Fellow shoppers boot woman without mask out of store
''Grocery shoppers didn’t mask their disgust when they forced a woman out of a Staten Island store for not wearing a protective mask, according to a news report.''

''The incident played out when the unmasked woman approached a group of people at the intersection of an aisle.

According to the state’s health and safety protocol, all New Yorkers are asked to wear a mask if they are outside their home and unable to maintain social distancing.''

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[mickey2942]

Fellow shoppers boot woman without mask out of store
''Grocery shoppers didn’t mask their disgust when they forced a woman out of a Staten Island store for not wearing a protective mask, according to a news report.''

''The incident played out when the unmasked woman approached a group of people at the intersection of an aisle.

According to the state’s health and safety protocol, all New Yorkers are asked to wear a mask if they are outside their home and unable to maintain social distancing.''

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

Peer pressure mask shaming. The new "Scarlet Letter".