Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #59

[astheworldfallsdown]

Officials looking at 'creative' ways they could allow nursing home visits again

(Ireland)

HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE looking at ways they could safely allow nursing home residents and their families to reunite in the coming weeks, the Chief Medical Officer has said.

Representatives from the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) today told the Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid-19 that the majority of concerns raised with the authority by nursing home residents over the last two months were about their feelings of isolation and loneliness since the blanket ban on visitors to these care facilities.

Hiqa wrote to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) two weeks ago seeking public health guidance on how to reopen nursing homes to visitors in a safe manner.

This evening CMO Dr Tony Holohan said officials are “very sensitive to the issue”.

“It’s one of the reasons why, if I go back to the beginning, we were reluctant to see a blanket restriction on visiting into facilities, particularly nursing home facilities, which is essentially cutting people off from their loved ones who live in these facilities,” he said.

He said the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) is looking at the issue on an ongoing basis to see whether this could be eased during Phase 3, from the end of June.

“We need to look at it not just on its own, or in isolation. We also have recommendations in place around visitation, not to people who are living in nursing homes, but to people who are cocooned at home and who are in the same vulnerable groups being visited by members of their own family,” he said.

Holohan said they are aware of the “significant mental health and frailty challenges” associated with an extended period of isolation and being cut off from loved ones.

Holohan said officials are trying to be “creative” about how visiting in some form may be able to begin again as we move through the phases of easing restrictions.

 

[Simply Southern]

Yes, according to current unemployment laws, that would be a "voluntary quit". And you have to be "able and available" to work, in a job similar to base period employment.

And being obese, over age 55, without any disabling conditions does not meet any ADA parameters for disability. There goes entitlement programs, SSDI.

Go to work, wear a mask, pray.

I've been researching, connecting with HR Directors I have a personal relationship with and following an outbreak that WAS reported to OSHA over a month before the first death., in my area

The ADA affords the employee reasonable accommodations, but if there is not reasonable way to protect the employee, they can take sick/vacation/PTL transfer to another open position, and/or 12 weeks of FMLA.

Most states have a employment at will law, allowing employers an "out clause", if work is no longer available, employee can not longer perform the tasks hired for due to health, employee can take 1e weeks of FMLA, after that the employee will be terminated, unless a physician letter states employee is free from disease or disability perform the job hired for.

CAREs Act provide temporary relief for those laid off or unable to work to do health and a few other situations. This coverage ends IN July.

An example ....I'm hired for a job requiring I lift 75lbs on a frequent basis and I do this job for years with little problem. I become unable to perform this job do to a NON work related injury. There are no resources to cover loss wages with the exception being, short term long term privately held disability insurance.

I do know OSHA did investigate numerous call center complaints a month prior to the first death, in my area. No changes were made to the operation, mask requirements were NOT made, the justification...a call center can not operate unless employees are able to clearly speak and be heard by staff. Staff were offered unpaid leave, under FMLA. The real KICKER, OSHA did not mandate the call center test the employees.

We now have a major outbreak, numerous deaths and the call center finally worked out a work from home program.

Can the employee sue? Yes, but the burden of proof will be on the employee to prove the virus was contracted at the call center, almost impossible.
Moo...

 

[vw51212]

Get this...I manage a small group of secretaries at work. We have all been working from home for two months and all were told to keep working at home through the summer as much as possible. This morning I get an email from one of them to inform me she was at the office for a couple hours already and she has a fever and has been sick bit don’t worry it’s probably not the virus because she lives in a rural area. Her chiropractor thought she should get tested but she’s sure it can’t be that since, again, it’s not in rural areas. She was there working sick with a fever for at least two hours before I found out. We made her go home and now she’s complaining about me lol how stupid can one be?

she takes the cake today lol
We had one person DEMAND that they list COVID positives by zip code....
Seriously...like everyone lives works and shops within the lines of their zip code????
I ALSO live rural, and everyday I drive in and work 8 hours at the biggest hospital in the most infected county of my state.
People don't understand that even though I like to live rural, I also am willing to make the drive to the A1 hospital for work.

 

[musicaljoke]

Because of HIPPA laws, employers aren't able to access information on the percentage of their employees who are at risk for medical conditions. But they can access information on the number of employees who are at risk due to their age (not by name, but as a percentage of their employees). So they could begin to plan for this at-risk population, and assume that other at risk employee groups will be making requests for reasonable accommodation or FMLA leave, and at least they will have a plan in place.

Do you envision a potential for any kind of discrimination or abuse, perhaps with employers not rehiring those who have medical conditions, or or turning away students or group members who are older? Can this become an issue with health insurance companies?

I foresee some bad social behaviour in the coming days.

 

[mickey2942]

Do you envision a potential for any kind of discrimination or abuse, perhaps with employers not rehiring those who have medical conditions, or or turning away students or group members who are older? Can this become an issue with health insurance companies?

I foresee some bad social behaviour in the coming days.

Well, they may not have to worry about it. People are getting furloughed left and right. Laid off, even from jobs they thought were iron clad. And this is just the beginning.

 

[margarita25]

Wow, did anyone just watch the one hour Colorado Governor conference?

Impressive I thought. I wouldn’t even know where to start or how to paraphrase...Polis is sharp, moo.

Re: breweries, restaurants and bars opening, the approach here will be basically you go with whom you arrived, your family or group. No interacting with people at other tables, etc. No going around talking to other people. Not as fun for someone like me who likes to go around talking to everyone lol.

So I was just envisioning this—-I/we/you may see someone we know across the restaurant/bar or “brewery”, which are big here in CO and referenced specifically in the conference. Normally, we could go over and say hello (or give them a hug)...since we can’t do that, it might be “automatic” or “natural” to say, “Hey! Good to see ya! Good to be out, you guys doing okay, man can you believe this crap...”; however, I realized this would actually be shouting respiratory droplets across the room...we know from that “choir study”...

—-

If anyone is bored and dying to watch a PC, take a watch at the CO PC (Polis: Eating at restaurants 'reasonably safe' under new guidelines).

Speaking of PCs, last WHO PC I saw was Apr 22. As much as I would have loved to have been able to keep up my approach of watching every single conference in order, it’s just not feasible time wise, so, I will now skip to the most recent one. It will be very interesting to view it this way, April 22 straight over to the end of May. It will be interesting to see what changes there may or may not be.

—-


There are always so many things running through my head about all this, as is the same with all of us I’m sure, but I’ve finally conked out & frankly just too burned out to post and have taken a break from everything Covid for, approx, almost a month? Kudos to all who hung in. I took my TKO 4 months in? Not bad.

Still haven’t left the house.

I have fond memories of my last trip to the grocery store (not), and haven’t been in a public environment with everyone wearing masks. It has got to be surreal - I’ve heard that it is....I find it difficult to process and scary just seeing occasional people walk by with masks....

This is all hard. Harder than I thought it was going to be.

I said “fasten your seatbelts, we’re in for a bumpy ride”, but I didn’t expect to be here “indefinitely”, kwim? I saw Asian countries lower their numbers, so I figured we’d be here a few months, but jeez....

I don’t know if this will get deleted. I don’t know what’s politically correct or not off topic or too personalized or not offensive to someone somewhere. Not my intention.

Hope everyone is hanging in and hugs to all.

 

[astheworldfallsdown]

Wow, did anyone just watch the one hour Colorado Governor conference?

Impressive I thought. I wouldn’t even know where to start or how to paraphrase...Polis is sharp, moo.

Re: breweries, restaurants and bars opening, the approach here will be basically you go with whom you arrived, your family or group. No interacting with people at other tables, etc. No going around talking to other people. No fun for someone like me who likes to go solo sometimes and go around talking to everyone lol.

So I was just envisioning this—-I/we/you may see someone we know across the restaurant/bar or “breweries” which are big here in CO - Normally, we could go over and say hello (or give them a hug)...since we can’t do that, it might be automatic or “natural” to say “Hey! Good to be out, you guys doing okay, man can you believe this crap...”, however I realized this would be shouting respiratory droplets across the room....

If anyone is bored and dying to watch a PC, take a watch at the CO PC (insert link).

Speaking of PCs, last WHO PC I saw was Apr 22. As much as I would have loved to have been able to keep up my approach of watching everything in order, it’s just not feesible; therefore, I will now skip to the most recent one. It will be very interesting to view it this way, April 22 straight over to the end of May. It will be interesting to see what changes there may or may not be.

—-


There are always so many things running through my head about all this, but I’ve finally conked out too burned out to post and took a break from everything Covid for, approx, almost a month? Kudos to all who hung in. I took my TKO 4 months in? Not bad.

Still haven’t left the house.

I have fond memories of my last trip to the grocery store (not), and haven’t been in a public environment with everyone everywhere wearing masks. It has got to be surreal-I’ve heard it is....I find it difficult to process just seeing people walk by with masks....

This is all hard. Harder than I thought it was going to be.

I said “fasten your seatbelts, we’re in for a bumpy ride”, but I didn’t expect to be here “indefinitely”, kwim? I saw Asian countries lower their numbers, so I figured we’d be here a few months, but jeez....

I don’t know if this will get deleted. I don’t know what’s politically correct or not off topic or not offensive to someone somewhere.

Hope everyone is hanging in and hugs to all.

Good to see you back Margharita

 

[Really?]

Hugs to you marg.....I just did a months worth of grocery shopping. I’m staying in.....all other are out and about on sidewalks, streets, boardwalks and the beach without a mask on.

 

[Yvettea]

It's official. US has now passed 100,000 deaths.

United States Coronavirus: 1,715,520 Cases and 100,213 Deaths - Worldometer

There’s a creepy aspect to this number since they first predicted 100,000 to 250,000 deaths and WHO says we can still expect a second peak.

 

[mickey2942]

@margarita25 that is interesting. And makes me wonder, in this Coronavirus situation, why dating apps, like Tinder, are still allowed to be hooking people up.

 

[margarita25]

This PC was somewhat uplifting and educational.

Take a watch. Do a quick scroll. I think it’s a good watch no matter what State you’re in.

Polis: Eating at restaurants 'reasonably safe' under new guidelines

 

[HongKongPhooey]

she takes the cake today lol
We had one person DEMAND that they list COVID positives by zip code....
Seriously...like everyone lives works and shops within the lines of their zip code????
I ALSO live rural, and everyday I drive in and work 8 hours at the biggest hospital in the most infected county of my state.
People don't understand that even though I like to live rural, I also am willing to make the drive to the A1 hospital for work.

Yep. There's 100 people in the village where I live. Farmland as far as the eye can see. But I got it.

It aint where you live, it's how you live - and most of us work in a local town or city.

 

[BeckyF]

I drove by an urgent care place yesterday and they are giving free COVID19 tests to anyone. The free part is not what excites me. It's the fact that they have tests available for everyone! I'm in St. Louis, MO.

 

[tmar]

Great Ormond Street paediatrician who nearly died from coronavirus is found to have antibody levels FORTY times higher than normal amid hopes his blood could help others recover as well

Great Ormond Street paediatrician who nearly died from coronavirus is found to have antibody levels FORTY times higher than normal amid hopes his blood could help others recover as well

James Robinson for MailOnline and Victoria Allen Science Correspondent
5 hrs ago
...
An NHS paediatrician who nearly died from coronavirus has been found to have antibody levels forty times that of a normal plasma donor - and doctors hope his blood could now help save the lives of others

Alessandro Giardini, 46, a consultant at Great Ormond Street Hospital, spent seven days on a ventilator after contracting the deadly virus.
...
But the father-of-two, who has since recovered from the virus, is set to turn from patient to 'super donor' after doctors discovered his antibody level is around 40 times that of the typical plasma donation made to NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) so far.
It comes as doctors look to explore a pattern that men over 35 who have been hospitalised with coronavirus appear to make high levels of antibodies which could potentially fight the contagion.

They could play a major part in providing transfusions of blood plasma which may save lives.

 

[musicaljoke]

There’s a creepy aspect to this number since they first predicted 100,000 to 250,000 deaths and WHO says we can still expect a second peak.

I confess, it was hard to believe so many people would die.

 

[margarita25]

I drove by an urgent care place yesterday and they are giving free COVID19 tests to anyone. The free part is not what excites me. It's the fact that they have tests available for everyone! I'm in St. Louis, MO.

Same here in CO. I believe the location is the “Pepsi Center”.

(What a trip)

 

[tmar]

Surgical masks wash up on Aussie beaches after 40 shipping containers lost at sea

Surgical masks wash up on Aussie beaches after 40 shipping containers lost at sea

9News Staff
13 hrs ago

© Nine Forty containers fell overboard and at least 70 were damaged.
The ship is currently anchored in Moreton Bay, off the Sunshine Coast and is being inspected by maritime safety officials.

Investigators are scouring the manifest to identify what is missing.

Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) General Manager of Operations Allan Schwartz said the seaworthiness inspection would help inform if, and how, the ship might be brought safely into the Port of Brisbane.

 

[margarita25]

I confess, it was hard to believe so many people would die.

Well this is depressing.

On a lighter note, how bout them Yankees? Oh wait, we don’t have pro sports.

What a TRIP.

Let’s see, what can I contribute...can’t think of anything other than “wow, man”...

How about the latest WHO link...going in now, wish me luck - I’m going in from Apr 22 straight to May 22..oughta be quite interesting....

Press briefings

 

[mickey2942]

I had no issues with going out to dinner, sitting on a huge deck looking over a lake. We had wings and poutine.

But I would not have gone out to dinner, sitting inside, with AC.

 

[tmar]

First wave of coronavirus is not over, health expert warns

First wave of coronavirus is not over, health expert warns

Ellena Cruse
8 hrs ago
...
A World Health Organisation expert has warned the world is still in the midst of the “first wave” of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Executive director Dr Mike Ryan said thedisease is "actually on the way up".
He also said efforts to restart the economy in some countries and help millions of people who have lost their jobs risks reigniting coronavirus outbreaks.

Dr Ryan said: “Right now, we’re not in the second wave. We’re right in the middle of the first wave globally.

“We’re still very much in a phase where the disease is actually on the way up.”