Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #65

[margarita25]

“10 a.m.: The Houston Fire Department is considering of putting fire trucks out of service and temporarily closing fire stations because of staffing shortages, according to a Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association release.

"If HFD orders service reductions, incident response times will likely increase, and fire and EMS service outages will occur throughout the city," HPFFA said.

The union said the department has been hit with hundreds of resignations recently, quarantines and retirements.“

Karbach Brewing Co. employee tests positive for COVID-19

 

[anneg]

I checked my phone and, sure enough, it's on there.

Coronavirus logging function mysteriously appears on iPhones and Android devices

A MYSTERY "COVID-19 Exposure Logging" function has appeared in settings on iPhones and Android devices.

COVID-19 Exposure Logging can be accessed by iPhone and Android users through the "settings" section of both phones.

To access the COVID logging feature on iPhones, users must go under "settings," then click on "privacy," and lastly "health."

Android users can reportedly access the secretive feature by clicking "settings," then google, and then "settings" again.

I don't see it on my iPhone, but it's old (a 5S) and doesn't get automatic updates any more.

 

[Satchie]

Everyone has been saying outdoor events are Ok though. And this county has low numbers with much still open. Seems to be a lot of contradictory info to what was being stated about Tulsa and Arizona.

I'm not sure who 'everyone' is? Is that the same as those mysterious 'they' who people refer to as experts?

Some people were saying that going to the beach was okay, and then, when too many people started getting sick along with all the friends they went and hung out on the beach with, government had to step in and close down beaches.

 

[jjenny]

I'm not sure who 'everyone' is? Is that the same as those mysterious 'they' who people refer to as experts?

Some people were saying that going to the beach was okay, and then, when too many people started getting sick along with all the friends they went and hung out with on the beach with, government had to step in and close down beaches.

Sitting on a beach socially distancing is probably relatively safe. The problem is, the same people have to use a porta-potty, they go eat at restaurants, if they are out of town they stay at hotels, they drive to and from the beach together in a car, they go shopping and so on. They are not just sitting outside socially distancing. Most of them definitely don't just hang out on the beach.

 

[margarita25]

Hard-Hit US States 'Surge' Hospital Intensive Care Beds as ICU Wards Fill Up

“The Texas Medical Center system in Houston was expected to fill its last ICU bed on Thursday, but it has created a COVID "war room" and can handle a 66% surge in additional ICU patients with strategies including reassigning staff, delaying elective procedures, putting beds closer together and using regular beds for emergency use.

They calculate they will run out of space on July 6 if the current increase in Texas severe cases continues.”

 

[jjenny]

And it's 94 degrees in Rapid City right now. Not virus friendly.

Virus seems to like hot weather just fine, or it wouldn't be spreading like crazy in TX, FL and AZ.

 

[tresir2012]

As an ethnographic-historian or little to no to unpublished repute, these carvings were done on sacred lands for the First Nations. The people who were here in the Before Colonial times. Many historians also believe in presentism: the concept that one cannot judge past actions from future sensibilities. This idea has so many problems it’s difficult to elucidate in one post.

However... that being said, on both the small sensibilities accorded to the First Nations and current health issues, this is wrong. We colonials ( I am both slave and slave owner by blood) should make an attempt, however small or indelicate, to understand those complexities. To hold a July 4th gala on sacred First Nation land is an abject insult. However, very few care. I do.

This is a coronavirus thread, which is nothing to do with that specific issue though. The governor of the state is in agreement for this event to go ahead. There should be no further debate. The only issue for this thread is whether it is a superspreader event.

 

[tresir2012]

Virus seems to like hot weather just fine, or it wouldn't be spreading like crazy in TX, FL and AZ.

The virus likes air conditioning too.

 

[jjenny]

The virus likes air conditioning too.

Flu isn't spreading much in a summer, so there was hope this virus would behave the same way. It doesn't.

 

[Satchie]

It is the point. Unless you know for a scientific fact that people are going to either contract the virus or spread it by being at this specific outdoor event, you have no business telling them what to do.
I went to an mayoral election returns party at the beginning of June. The only people wearing masks were the servers at the venue. No one contracted the virus and no one spread it. I suppose I could have stayed home and watched a re-run of Gunsmoke but I decided to attend-----and I'm glad I did.

That's an interesting perspective. So, since no one can tell you whether or not, as a scientific fact, your house will burn down, do you not bother to get fire insurance?

Also, since no one can say, as a scientific fact, whether or not you will have a traffic collision, do we get rid of all speed limits, stop signs and traffic laws?

Since no one can tell you, as a scientific fact, that you will get caught committing a crime, do you just go ahead with it?

And in particular, should our lawmakers refuse to get insurance, drive like lunatics, and commit crimes, and encourage everyone else to do it as well?

The whole point of community life is about managing risk. The risks associated with this pandemic are well known. The situations that increase the risk are well known. But still, someone refused to connect the dots. <modsnip: removed political comment>

 

[jjenny]

Everyone has been saying outdoor events are Ok though. And this county has low numbers with much still open. Seems to be a lot of contradictory info to what was being stated about Tulsa and Arizona.

They are planning to do fire works, which is dangerous with dry weather.

 

[CharlestonGal]

“10 a.m.: The Houston Fire Department is considering of putting fire trucks out of service and temporarily closing fire stations because of staffing shortages, according to a Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association release.

"If HFD orders service reductions, incident response times will likely increase, and fire and EMS service outages will occur throughout the city," HPFFA said.

The union said the department has been hit with hundreds of resignations recently, quarantines and retirements.“

Karbach Brewing Co. employee tests positive for COVID-19

Holy crap. They need a new governor.

 

[anneg]

Oh Goodness what a terrible shock. And this was caused by singing in a mask and affected his oxygen supply aggravating his heart condition? They say not to wear a mask while exercising, so I guess it includes singing too. Glad he is ok now.

Thanks. DH had vasovagal syncope, which is fainting that occurs when your heart rate and blood pressure drop too low due to a trigger of some kind. His trigger was the the combination of heat, humidity, standing up for some time, and trying to sing while wearing a mask. He wasn't getting enough blood to the brain and passed out. I don't know whether this would have happened if he had not been wearing a mask--it might have happened anyway.

 

[Bravo]

Oh my! anyone else see the chairs for tonight's "event" they are zip tied together. It was explained as a safety precaution. In the event folks have to leave the area quickly. I guess they see the chairs as a hazard but not the virus

 

[anneg]

Respectfully snipped for space.

Oh my how scary! I'm so glad he's ok. Also glad you were able to join him in the ER. I don't know what the rules are now around here.....I'm not sure anyone is allowed in still.

Thanks. I would have been really upset had I not been able to be in the ER and the hospital with him.

 

[beatrixpotter]

CDC says COVID-19 cases in U.S. may be 10 times higher than reported
CDC says COVID-19 cases in U.S. may be 10 times higher than reported

"The true number of Americans who've been infected with COVID-19 may top 20 million, according to new estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Our best estimate right now is that for every case that's reported, there actually are 10 other infections," Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC, said on a call with reporters Thursday.

"The assessment comes from looking at blood samples across the country for the presence of antibodies to the virus. For every confirmed case of COVID-19, 10 more people had antibodies, Redfield said, referring to proteins in the blood that indicate whether a person's immune system has previously fought off the coronavirus.

"Those samples aren't just from people who have had antibody testing. They also come from testing performed on donated blood at blood banks or from other laboratory testing of blood.

"Currently, there are 2.3 million COVID-19 cases reported in the U.S. The CDC's new estimate pushes the actual number of coronavirus cases up to at least 23 million."
[BBM...more at link]

ETA: The story is from June 25.

How odd is this? They also say antibodies aren't lasting more than a few months for those who get it. And none of the states has that high of a positive rate for those tested. I would think if 10 times more have it we'd have drastically higher rates of positive tests. Does that make sense?

A state has 10% of people who seek out a test testing positive. But when they run antibody tests 10 times more people have antibodies? Do they really test that many people's lab samples for this? I have heard of people with confirmed cases not having antibodies any more. Honestly for whatever reason I find it truly suspect that they have tested that many people across the entire country and this is the result across the entire country.

It makes me question the actual nasal swabs and antibody tests they are running.

 

[tresir2012]

It is similarly remote and sparsely populated as where you live, with an equally good coronavirus track record because everyone has so far been sensible and conscientious. Would you be happy with 7500 party people rocking up near you? I imagine most locals would be pretty pissed off and worried about that.

We have an annual event in a few weeks time actually. We are a tourist area although remote, we have a large influx of visitors in the summer.

Texas. Masks are definitely needed.
JMO

Now we are talking South Dakota though and an outdoor gathering.

 

[Bravo]

I wasn't allowed in on May 29th when my husband had a heart attack. Thankfully our grown Children both work at the Hospital so they were allowed to see him when working. It was hard. He is doing great now.

 

[CharlestonGal]

Oh my! anyone else see the chairs for tonight's "event" they are zip tied together. It was explained as a safety precaution. In the event folks have to leave the area quickly. I guess they see the chairs as a hazard but not the virus

Safety from what, fire?

Why do they need chairs anyway? Other parks mark circles or squares on the ground six feet apart and people bring their own chairs or blankets.

Besides, who would even want to watch fireworks in uncomfortable chairs shoulder to shoulder?

Someone needs a new party planner.

 

[tresir2012]

Thanks. DH had vasovagal syncope, which is fainting that occurs when your heart rate and blood pressure drop too low due to a trigger of some kind. His trigger was the the combination of heat, humidity, standing up for some time, and trying to sing while wearing a mask. He wasn't getting enough blood to the brain and passed out. I don't know whether this would have happened if he had not been wearing a mask--it might have happened anyway.

Frightening episode for you both. Hope he recovers completely and at least you know it wasn't Covid.