Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #67

[tresir2012]

How is lockdown being lifted across Europe?

 

[tabitha111]

I hope I never get to experience an hallucination. It must be terrifying! Those poor people X

They believe the cause of this is lack of oxygen to the brain.

1. Hypoxia (Low Oxygen Level) When there is lack of oxygen to the brain, hallucinations and delusions can result.

MOO

 

[Lilibet]

There is an issue with international students in the US. If their college/university decides to offer classes on-line only, US government plans to revoke their visas and send them back home.

No surprise here if you know anything about White House senior advisor Stephen Miller’s agenda regarding immigration. From an article about USC foreign students....

Although ICE says this change is because of the pandemic, the Trump administration has been pushing for schools across the country to hold in-person learning. On Monday, President Donald Trump tweeted, "SCHOOLS MUST OPEN IN THE FALL!!!"

SCHOOLS MUST OPEN IN THE FALL!!!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 6, 2020
"The contradictions reveal that the intentions behind all of these immigration policy changes are not pandemic response. They are fulfilling a promise that (Trump senior adviser) Stephen Miller has long made to end legal immigration to the United States," said Andrea Flores, the Deputy Director of Immigration Policy at the ACLU.
BBM

ICE order to exit country leaves USC international students in limbo

 

[weepingangel]

Massachusetts COVID-19 health equity task force off to slow start

more at link

A health equity task force charged with addressing racial, geographic and other disparities during the coronavirus pandemic is off to a slower start than anticipated, missing its June 30 interim filing deadline.

The COVID-19 data collection bill Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law in early June created a COVID-19 health equity task force to examine racial, ethnic, disability, regional and cultural disparities affecting people’s ability to avoid COVID-19 and obtain testing, treatment and other resources. Their interim filing deadline was set for June 30, weeks away, and the final deadline was set for Aug. 1.
https://www.masslive.com/coronaviru...u7ZAfbK-DHpdOT6gjoTC8U0mZS0cFfBgAuWpvUROaIWhw

 

[mickey2942]

Texas coronavirus cases top 1,300 from child care facilities alone - CNN

This is probably what fueled the spread of Covid in Texas. Can you imagine what the rate would be if they had added school age children to the mix?

The real problem, is the issue of spread from high Covid states to low Covid states. It is completely out of control. I guess that the new "goal" is herd immunity.

Just follow the herd.

 

[10ofRods]

It's unimaginable. How could it even be possible?

If the schools really are required to open, I think the main goal has to be to provide care for children while parents go back to work. If schools are required to have 50% of kids in classes at one time, the logistics (for parents) will be a nightmare. The kids will adapt. It's going to be much harder on kids who don't do well, already, in math and reading, because those are the subjects that are likely to be taught online.

If I were a principal, I'd tell staff to focus on hands-on subjects and assignments, and on somehow creating new social norms, especially for the 4th grade and below. Kids want to socialize and have fun with each other at school. Presumably, Florida schools will be air conditioned, and it'll be hard to have them spend a lot of time outside.

CoVid will almost certainly race through the school age population, with most of them having mild symptoms, unknown longterm consequences, and of course, each will need to be quarantined (by the parents).

Teachers seem to be getting CoVid where ever school is back in session, in varying numbers depending on all kinds of variables. Once one kid has CoVid in a classroom, that teacher will need to be tested and quarantined. Since Florida is running out of testing capacity, this too will be logistical nightmare.

Schools could take the option of less social distancing for kids, more for teachers (more kids in a larger space, just 1 adult supervisor). How'd the schools would find these spaces and do this, I don't know. So the result will be lots of teachers with CoVid. The older ones (let's say over 50) may be out for quite some time.

If they have to manage it, they will, but it's going to be very difficult on so many levels. Florida may have no choice but to simply abandon the containment model altogether. I guess they could take a mildly ill CV+ teacher and put her/him in classrooms with asymptomatic/mildly ill CV+ kids. That would be a first. Hopefully, the classrooms don't all share A/C...

 

[Lilibet]

It's possible for their classes to be online, but their research might be hands to the plow. I wonder how that will work.

Many are here doing excellent research. It won’t work. JMO

 

[tabitha111]

My opinion on opening schools- Student tests positive, or teacher tests positive, or cafeteria worker, janitor or admin Secretary...school will shut down for two days "deep cleaning" repeat ad nauseam... this is my prediction for the upcoming school year. An endless cycle.

Disclosure: I homeschooled my son as a single parent until university. He graduated with a Geography degree as his major, political science as his minor. Married now and runs his own business.(he did not have to shut down at all as he provides essential materials) I do not have a degree, just 20 years in the US Navy, so it's doable! We did zero online schooling, although I did have him build his own computer at the time. It was all books, workbooks, one on one teaching by me...

 

[Lilibet]

CNN)President Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday his disagreement with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for safely reopening schools, calling the recommendations "very tough" and "expensive."

He also threatened he "may cut off funding" to schools that do not reopen, though the bulk of public school funding comes from state and local governments.

"I disagree with @CDCgov on their very tough & expensive guidelines for opening schools. While they want them open, they are asking schools to do very impractical things. I will be meeting with them!!!" the President tweeted.

Trump trashes CDC school reopening guidelines as 'very tough' and 'expensive' - CNNPolitics

 

[JerseyGirl]

Trump threatens to cut funding to schools that do not reopen

President Trump tweeted Wednesday his disagreement with the US Centers from Disease Control and Prevention's guidelines for safely reopening schools, calling their recommendations "very tough" and "expensive."

He also threatened he "may cut off funding" to schools that do not reopen, though the bulk of public school funding comes from state and local governments.

"I disagree with @CDCgov on their very tough & expensive guidelines for opening schools. While they want them open, they are asking schools to do very impractical things. I will be meeting with them!!!" the President tweeted.

The CDC's guidelines encourage hygiene, the use of cloth face coverings and staying home when appropriate. It also suggests staggered scheduling, a back-up staffing plan, modified seating layouts to allow social distancing, physical barriers and closing of communal spaces.

 

[MrX]

Arizona:

“One in four COVID-19 tests in Arizona is coming back positive, the highest percentage in the country, according to Johns Hopkins University, and an indicator that there isn't enough testing to keep up with the new coronavirus' spread in the state.”

[...]

“Arizona has the highest percentage among all states of positive tests, according to data from Johns Hopkins, with an average of 25.3% of tests coming back positive as of Tuesday.“

[...]

“Johns Hopkins says its data on test positivity rates is based on 7-day rolling averages because of fluctuations in daily reporting.”

Arizona has highest percentage of positive COVID-19 tests in the US. Here's what it means

—-

COVID-19 patients in Tucson being transferred to Phoenix, out of state

“When Wade McGee was diagnosed with COVID-19 at 3 a.m. Friday, there was nowhere in Tucson he could get treatment.“

[...]

“She wishes he’d been able to get treatment here, but also said she’s glad he wasn’t transferred out of state — which is the fate some patients are facing as the health-care crisis worsens.

Pima County residents with COVID-19 are being treated in San Diego, Albuquerque or Las Vegas when shortages in staffing, equipment or bed space make it impossible for hospitals close to home to take them.

Others are being sent around the state, like to Wickenburg or, in the case of McGee, Phoenix.“

[...]

““It is important to understand that hospital capacity is about more than just beds,” said Ruiz Hudman. “When we look at our ability to deliver care at the highest level, we are also factoring in equipment, supplies and staffing.””

—-

Arizona reports 117 new coronavirus deaths, with 52 from death certificates - KTAR.com

—-

Arizona doctor fears closing and reopening trend if COVID-19 spread isn't slowed

“An Arizona doctor says her fear is if the state doesn't get a handle on growing COVID-19 cases, we will be in an endless cycle of partially closing and reopening.

On Tuesday, numbers indicate another record-breaking day for
COVID-19 in Arizona.

"We did see a record number of deaths in Arizona today and that is only going to get worse unless we take serious action," says Dr. Natasha Bhuyan, a family physician with One Medical.

She's been following the numbers, she says, and as of Tuesday, Arizona is at a 33% positive rate of COVID-19, which she says might be the most alarming statistic.”

[...]

“"I am just not seeing enough contact tracing," Bhuyan said. "I don't even know what the data is so we are not clear on the hotspots."“

So much to unpack here. I don't know if people providing these quotes are misinformed, misleading or just frustrated. The most obvious falsehood is "record number of deaths." It has been repeatedly stated that AZ "reports" deaths as one number, and then breaks those out by actual date of death. Please see the official site, here: ADHS - Data Dashboard

As for the analysis of the high percentage of positive tests, it seems self evident that the more difficult it is to procure a test, the sicker someone will need to be before seeking and obtaining that test. If the only people being tested are sick, then the results will show a lot of positives.

The last quote needs to be shouted from the hilltops: "I don't even know what the date is..." To that I would say "Then don't shut down our economy until you do know!"

 

[JerseyGirl]

NYC will use a combination of in-person and remote learning if schools open in the fall, mayor says

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday that if schools reopen in the fall, the approach will be “blended learning” — meaning “at some points in the week, you're learning in person in the classroom; at other points of the week, you’re learning remotely.”

“Most schools will not be able to have all their kids in school at the same time” de Blasio said, adding that most students will be in school 2 or 3 days a week.

New York state has not decided if schools will be open in September but has asked each of the 700 districts to come up with a plan.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Miami-Dade County mayor on contact tracing: It’s taking longer than I hoped

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giménez saidd that contract tracing, while useful, may not be as helpful with this novel coronavirus because of so many asymptomatic cases.

Giménez added that he would not be comfortable opening schools at the end of August if coronavirus cases continue to surge, despite a state order to open.

 

[SouthAussie]

Live video is starting .... if you'd like to look at a door. I did see a sleeve appear for a moment. And the audio is also on.

Here they are, masks all around, no president.

"Beginning to see positive cases flattening in AZ and FL"


Watch live: White House coronavirus task force briefing

 

[JerseyGirl]

There would be "huge spike" if Florida tracked probable cases, ex-data official says

Rebekah Jones, the data official behind Florida's Covid-19 dashboard who launched her own dashboard after she said she was removed from the state's project, said that she doesn’t see an end in sight to the state’s coronavirus surge.

Florida doesn’t track probable coronavirus cases, Jones explained. When people are tested as they arrive at the ER, “that doesn't count as an active hospitalization until their positive test result is received by [the Florida Department of Health].”

Some background: Jones was removed from the dashboard after the Florida DOH said she had "exhibited a repeated course of insubordination" during her tenure there.

“I was flat-out told repeatedly that we were not adding hospitalization data, even though all of our epidemiologists said it was one of the most important indicators of how our health care system is handling the influx of cases,” she said.

She said she has contacts at the Department of Health who occasionally give her documentation, and many counties are at 70-80% capacity.

“The data out there is available. They just don't make it public themselves,” Jones said.

Jones added that her data shows that the highest percent increase of coronavirus cases has been under 18, whereas the lowest percent increase in the last week compared to previous weeks was in the 18 to 35 age group.

https://twitter.com/NewDay/status/1...coronavirus-pandemic-07-08-20-intl/index.html

 

[musicaljoke]

NYC will use a combination of in-person and remote learning if schools open in the fall, mayor says

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday that if schools reopen in the fall, the approach will be “blended learning” — meaning “at some points in the week, you're learning in person in the classroom; at other points of the week, you’re learning remotely.”

“Most schools will not be able to have all their kids in school at the same time” de Blasio said, adding that most students will be in school 2 or 3 days a week.

New York state has not decided if schools will be open in September but has asked each of the 700 districts to come up with a plan.

imho, it would be good to have the kids go to school for a week, and then off for a week while the other half of their class goes to school, rather than have them attend every other day. This gives the weekend for deep cleaning the classroom, and give each group of students a week for symptoms to show up at home before they come back into the classroom. And wouldn't it be wonderful if each half class had their own teacher. Yeah, in my dreams.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Harvard and MIT sue Trump administration for possibly forcing international students to leave

The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts, seeks to block the directive, arguing it violates the Administrative Procedures Act.

Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Wednesday sued the Trump administration over its guidance not allowing foreign students to take online-only courses this fall semester.

Harvard announced earlier this week that all course instruction will be delivered online, including for students living on-campus. The university said the guidance stands to affect approximately 5,000 international students.

“The order came down without notice—its cruelty surpassed only by its recklessness. It appears that it was designed purposefully to place pressure on colleges and universities to open their on-campus classrooms for in-person instruction this fall, without regard to concerns for the health and safety of students, instructors, and others,” Harvard President Larry Bacow said in a statement. “This comes at a time when the United States has been setting daily records for the number of new infections, with more than 300,000 new cases reported since July 1.”

MIT president L. Rafael Reif said in a statement that the measure "disrupts our international students’ lives and jeopardizes their academic and research pursuits." "Our international students now have many questions – about their visas, their health, their families and their ability to continue working toward an MIT degree. Unspoken, but unmistakable, is one more question: Am I welcome? At MIT, the answer, unequivocally, is yes," Reif continued.

 

[SouthAussie]

Will Fauci be at this briefing????

Doesn't look like Fauci is there.

This seems to be almost entirely about schools reopening.

Fed govt wants to share, share the responsibility of getting the kids back in school ... "I believe every parent wants that".

 

[JerseyGirl]

New Jersey will require face coverings outdoors when social distancing isn't possible

New Jersey will require people to wear face coverings while outdoors when social distancing isn’t possible, Gov. Phil Murphy said.

“You’re going to at least get a warning if not something stronger,” he said

Murphy is expected to announce an executive order outlining the outdoor face covering policy during his 1:00 p.m. ET news conference.

Read more about the states requiring people to wear masks when out in public here.

 

[10ofRods]

My opinion on opening schools- Student tests positive, or teacher tests positive, or cafeteria worker, janitor or admin Secretary...school will shut down for two days "deep cleaning" repeat ad nauseam... this is my prediction for the upcoming school year. An endless cycle.

Disclosure: I homeschooled my son as a single parent until university. He graduated with a Geography degree as his major, political science as his minor. Married now and runs his own business.(he did not have to shut down at all as he provides essential materials) I do not have a degree, just 20 years in the US Navy, so it's doable! We did zero online schooling, although I did have him build his own computer at the time. It was all books, workbooks, one on one teaching by me...

I get a lot of home schooled kids in my classes (often starting around age 15 - I have a 14 year old in an online class right now). They are often the very best students. Today, most of them also get the online skills that are essential to most jobs, but they are adaptable and really good readers.

My husband and I are both somewhat self-taught. My high school was ranked as one of the lowest achieving high schools in California (it has improved some). Both my husband and I had no actual math teacher for math. My daughters had no actual science teacher in middle school. So yep, either the kid steps up out of real interest, or the parent does the teaching - or both.

And that's going to lead to huge disparities in how this crop of kids turn out - we're already so poorly ranked in math, reading and science compared to other wealthy nations. I'm beginning to think we aren't a "wealthy nation" as much as we are a nation with a lot of consumerism and 1% wealthy people.