Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #99

[SoCalDavidS]

Numbers alone will never tell the full story of what’s happening within our walls right now. This pandemic is devastating – for our patients, our colleagues, their families. Megan Dunaway, RN is an Assistant Nurse Manager in our Emergency Center – Northeast, working on the frontlines of this fight. Please take a moment to read her powerful perspective:

I’m posting this in honor of my staff in the ER who are working relentlessly, and seeing horrific outcomes, in honor of both of my daughters who are currently sick with COVID (doing ok, they are not experiencing what I have seen in other children in our ER fighting this), and in honor of all of my patients I have lost over these past few weeks – as this is laying heavy on my heart.

I hope you read it, I hope you share it, I hope you restrain from commenting negatively. Controversy is the last thing I want from this share. I simply hope you start supporting, stop fighting, and start thinking before coming to the ER, “is this an emergency?”

To my patients I have lost: I can only hope I brought you a little comfort in your final hours. I hope you believed me when I looked you in the eyes and said, “I’ve got you,” when I knew damn well COVID is bigger than anything we have for you.

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[Lilibet]

This breakdown of vaccinated and unvaccinated patients at the three hospitals in the Asante system in Southern Oregon makes it clear that being unvaccinated is a huge risk.

Asante providing better understanding of vaccinated and unvaccinated COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations

According to their latest update, on August 29 2021, of the 182 people that are in their hospitals with COVID-19, 170 of the 182 patients are unvaccinated while the other 12 patients are vaccinated.

In Asante ICU or IMCU beds, 51 out of the 53 patients are unvaccinated while on two are vaccinated.

For patients on ventilators across Asante hospitals, all 21 people are unvaccinated.

Over the last seven days Asante has reported 21 deaths as well. Of those 21 deaths, 15 of them were people who were unvaccinated with 6 people were vaccinated.

 

[GRT]

I am very surprised it's so many 25%

• About 1 in 8 nurses haven't gotten a COVID-19 vaccine or don't plan to get one, a new survey finds, setting up the potential for more staffing shortages at hospitals
• COVID-19 Survey

A majority of the nurses surveyed were hospital workers in medium to large hospitals with 100 to over 1,000 beds and 71% provide direct care to patients at the facilities.

The American Nurses Association surveyed nearly 5,000 nurses across the US in order to learn more about the questions and concerns they have about the vaccine. 25% of the nurses surveyed said they do not trust or are unsure that the coronavirus vaccines available are safe and effective.

Out of those who do not intend to get vaccinated, 84% said that there was not enough information about the long-term effects of the vaccine.

Hospitals are grappling with whether to require staff to get inoculated for the disease or risk alienating workers. 59% of the nurses surveyed support vaccine mandates.

I get twice-weekly emails from the nursing home where my mother now is, and as of Friday, there was one resident who tested positive and three staff members. They don't say whether the staff are nurses, aides, or janitors, but in a nursing home with 85 residents--and a shortage of staff--I'm surprised more staff than residents tested positive. I'm guessing that means those staff members were not vaccinated, although I can't prove that. My mom is vaccinated, but I really don't want unvaccinated staff caring for her.

 

[GRT]

The Regeneron antibodies are proteins made in a laboratory. They do not use human blood.

"Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful pathogens such as viruses. Casirivimab and imdevimab are monoclonal antibodies that are specifically directed against the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, designed to block the virus’ attachment and entry into human cells."
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Authorizes Monoclonal Antibodies for Treatment of COVID-19 | FDA

I wish this antibody treatment was more publicized. I don't think many people even know about it. But, supposedly, it's a free treatment. If you can find it.

 

[Lilibet]

I wish this antibody treatment was more publicized. I don't think many people even know about it. But, supposedly, it's a free treatment. If you can find it.

I agree that it needs to be more publicized so people will know about it.

It was interesting last January when I tested positive for Covid. The doctor I saw on Telemed recommended that I get the monoclonal antibody treatment because of my age, BMI and mild asthma. I had barely heard of it, and as I mentioned in an earlier post, it had just become available at our small local hospital in Ashland the day before, the only one in Southern Oregon providing it. My husband tested positive about five days later and he had to ask his doctor to prescribe it.

The local news release from the hospital system on Jan. 27:
Monoclonal antibody therapy for COVID-19 offered at Asante Ashland Community Hospital - Asante

At that time only four Oregon hospitals were offering the monoclonal antibody treatment: Asante in Ashland, St. Alphonsus Medical Center in Baker City, Pioneer Memorial Hospital in Heppner and Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay. These are small rural communities many miles from the larger metro areas of Portland, Salem and Eugene. If it hadn’t been available here, I would have been too sick to travel far to receive it. Now it is widely available in Oregon, and patients who think they are eligible are encouraged to ask for it. But anyone who isn’t seeing these notices and news stories won’t know to do that. It should be standard practice for doctors to offer it, but I’m not sure they all are.

This link explains how to get it in Oregon, but I doubt many patients would see it. It’s even offered at home! I expect it’s readily available in all states IF you know to ask for it.
Monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19 (update) : Oregon Vaccine News
Where can eligible people get monoclonal antibody treatment?

OHA encourages people who believe they are eligible to receive mAb treatment to contact their health care provider. The subcutaneous form of mAb treatment can be administered by any qualified provider. If you do not have a health care provider, please call 1-877-332-6585to talk about treatment options.

What can people expect during treatment?

Once a health care provider has referred someone for mAb treatment, the individual will then be given an injection at a designated location or an infusion via an intravenous (IV) drip at their home or at an infusion center. During an appointment, an individual receiving treatment will be screened by the mAb treatment provider, receive the injection or infusion from the health care provider, and be monitored for one hour following their treatment.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

I wish this antibody treatment was more publicized. I don't think many people even know about it. But, supposedly, it's a free treatment. If you can find it.

DeSantis opened multiple free clinics here..no appt, no referral....

It should be everywhere by now...

I guess I don't understand why some places don't get it...

 

[IceIce9]

I wish this antibody treatment was more publicized. I don't think many people even know about it. But, supposedly, it's a free treatment. If you can find it.

The hospital system where I work is offering it but there is a long wait list. We receive calls all day long from people requesting it. Our doctors write orders and they get added to the list but we can not give them an idea of when they may be called to come to the hospital for treatment.

 

[SouthAussie]

DeSantis opened multiple free clinics here..no appt, no referral....

It should be everywhere by now...

I guess I don't understand why some places don't get it...

Apparently, the US shipments of Regeneron are going primarily to areas of the US that have a lot of unvaccinated people.

"Now, the Health and Human Services department is shipping about 168,000 doses a week, with 78% of the orders going to regions of the country with low vaccination rates."

Monoclonal antibodies treatment demand skyrockets as COVID cases climb

 

[MimosaMornings]

DeSantis opened multiple free clinics here..no appt, no referral....

It should be everywhere by now...

I guess I don't understand why some places don't get it...

You have to meet the criteria here.
There is no clinic where anyone and everyone can walk in and get it.
Similar to the booster, there are qualifying questions to get on the wait list.

•High risk
•Not fully vaccinated or vaccinated but immune compromised

High risk:
Over 65
Overweight
Pregnant
Diabetes
On immunosuppressive treatment
Cardiovascular disease
Chronic lung disease
Sickle cell disease
Chronic kidney disease

 

[IceIce9]

Just last week our doctors began writing orders for outpatients to receive the antibody treatment. Previously it was being given to COVID inpatients only, throughout our hospital system.

The change happened so quickly that communication did not get out to the hospital-based clinics for several days, we had been receiving phone calls from patients who had tested positive for COVID and were asking for the treatment, and we were telling them it was only for inpatients. Then Friday afternoon one of our docs mentioned that it was now available to outpatients.

Communication has been so difficult because COVID has been such a fluid situation. Things change daily as far as our protocols.

Another protocol that changed for is last week is retesting after a negative test. We had not been offering a second COVID test to patients who had tested negative. But we began offering a second PCR test on the theory that some patients were testing negative when they only have symptoms after a day or two.

 

[Cool Cats]

Is it a crime to forge a vaccine card? And what’s the penalty for using a fake?

A nurse displays a real COVID-19 vaccination card. AP Photo/Craig Ruttle

Schools, businesses, the military and local governments are requiring proof of vaccination. Yet, unlike the European Union and Australia, which have secure digital proof of vaccination, the United States has not created a systematic way to track vaccinations around the nation.

Most places in the U.S. instead rely on paper cards with handwritten notes, which can be easily forged.

This forged COVID-19 vaccination card was seized during a criminal investigation in California.California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control via AP

What is the harm?
A fake vaccination card deceives universities, businesses and employers into granting access they otherwise would not, letting someone use land, buildings or equipment they otherwise would be barred from.

In some cases, such as those involving an astronomy researcher supported by federal grants or athletes in bowl games, that access might be worth thousands of dollars.

More importantly, that fraudulent access might risk the health of students, clients and staffers who rely on vaccination policies for their own safety.

Counterfeiting is serious
So far, no one has been sentenced for creating or possessing fake COVID-19 vaccination cards. It is therefore not clear how courts will evaluate the harm done by this sort of fraud.

But in practice, the law gives prosecutors and judges huge discretion on how to charge and sentence offenders. Typically, judges consider the degree of harm caused or at least the value of the thing that was wrongly acquired. In the case of forged vaccine cards, that is a thorny question.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Just last week our doctors began writing orders for outpatients to receive the antibody treatment. Previously it was being given to COVID inpatients only, throughout our hospital system.

The change happened so quickly that communication did not get out to the hospital-based clinics for several days, we had been receiving phone calls from patients who had tested positive for COVID and were asking for the treatment, and we were telling them it was only for inpatients. Then Friday afternoon one of our docs mentioned that it was now available to outpatients.

Communication has been so difficult because COVID has been such a fluid situation. Things change daily as far as our protocols.

Another protocol that changed for is last week is retesting after a negative test. We had not been offering a second COVID test to patients who had tested negative. But we began offering a second PCR test on the theory that some patients were testing negative when they only have symptoms after a day or two.

Your first hand experiences are just so valuable... thank you.

 

[IceIce9]

Your first hand experiences are just so valuable... thank you.

I wish I had the time to post more experiences. My advice to everyone is: get vaccinated, keep wearing a mask while shopping and in other indoor situations. And don’t get a false sense of security thinking that you can’t get or spread COVID just because you are fully vaccinated.

I work for a hospital system and I work in several different capacities depending on their needs. But lately I have been working in a couple of the offsite clinics, and nearly every call we get now is about COVID. People with COVID symptoms can’t get tested because all sites in our county are booked up for days. People who have had COVID exposure (but no symptoms) can’t return to work until they have a negative COVID test. Students who have had exposure to another student with COVID have to quarantine at home for 14 days or until they get a positive test.

In some cases parents have called and said their child’s entire class has to quarantine at home due to one child having COVID. And a bus full of students are quarantining at home due to the bus driver testing positive for COVID.

I told my coworkers last week we could answer the phone “COVID Hotline” instead of the name of the clinic.

 

[WichitaFalls]

Numbers alone will never tell the full story of what’s happening within our walls right now. This pandemic is devastating – for our patients, our colleagues, their families. Megan Dunaway, RN is an Assistant Nurse Manager in our Emergency Center – Northeast, working on the frontlines of this fight. Please take a moment to read her powerful perspective:
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Bless her and all those working against this awful virus. What horrible times for them, heartbreaking.

 

[Cool Cats]

I remember when school board members actually were respected

Hostile school board meetings across nation over COVID-19 policies have members calling it quits

A Nevada school board member said he had thoughts of suicide before stepping down amid threats and harassment. In Virginia, a board member resigned over what she saw as politics driving decisions on masks. The vitriol at board meetings in Wisconsin had one member fearing he would find his tires slashed.

In his letter of resignation from Wisconsin’s Oconomowoc Area School Board, Rick Grothaus said its work had become “toxic and impossible to do.”

“When I got on, I knew it would be difficult,” Grothaus, a retired educator, said by phone. “But I wasn’t ready or prepared for the vitriolic response that would occur, especially now that the pandemic seemed to just bring everything out in a very, very harsh way. It made it impossible to really do any kind of meaningful work.”

He resigned Aug. 15 along with two other members, including Dan Raasch, who wondered if his car and windshield would be intact after meetings.

Pratt, who has been on the board six years said “We are here to help children.” Pratt also said she strives to view issues from the perspective of even the most extreme members of the community, and she has no plans to resign. But she has stepped up security at her home.

Aug. 29, 2021 at 4:03 pm

In Vail, Arizona, speakers at a recent meeting took turns blasting school board members over masks, vaccines and discussions of race in schools — even though the board had no plans to act on, or even discuss, any of those topics. “It’s my constitutional right to be as mean as I want to you guys,” one woman said.

Police have been called to intervene in places including Vail, where parents protesting a mask mandate pushed their way into a board room in April, and in Mesa County, Colorado, where Doug Levinson was among school board members escorted to their cars by officers who had been unable to de-escalate a raucous Aug. 17 meeting. “Why am I doing this?” Levinson asked himself.

Kurt Thigpen wrote in leaving the Washoe County, Nevada, school board that he considered suicide amid relentless bullying and threats led by people who didn’t live in the county, let alone have children in the schools. “I was constantly looking over my shoulder,” he wrote in July.

Susan Crenshaw resigned from the Craig County, Virginia, school board this month with more than a year left in her term after being “blindsided,” she said, by her board’s decision to defy the state’s mask mandate in a move that she said felt more driven by political than educational considerations.

 

[IceIce9]

Hostile school board meetings across nation over COVID-19 policies have members calling it quits
View attachment 310698

A Nevada school board member said he had thoughts of suicide before stepping down amid threats and harassment. In Virginia, a board member resigned over what she saw as politics driving decisions on masks. The vitriol at board meetings in Wisconsin had one member fearing he would find his tires slashed.

In his letter of resignation from Wisconsin’s Oconomowoc Area School Board, Rick Grothaus said its work had become “toxic and impossible to do.”

“When I got on, I knew it would be difficult,” Grothaus, a retired educator, said by phone. “But I wasn’t ready or prepared for the vitriolic response that would occur, especially now that the pandemic seemed to just bring everything out in a very, very harsh way. It made it impossible to really do any kind of meaningful work.”

He resigned Aug. 15 along with two other members, including Dan Raasch, who wondered if his car and windshield would be intact after meetings.

In Vail, Arizona, speakers at a recent meeting took turns blasting school board members over masks, vaccines and discussions of race in schools — even though the board had no plans to act on, or even discuss, any of those topics. “It’s my constitutional right to be as mean as I want to you guys,” one woman said.

Pratt, who has been on the board six years said “We are here to help children.” Pratt also said she strives to view issues from the perspective of even the most extreme members of the community, and she has no plans to resign. But she has stepped up security at her home.

Police have been called to intervene in places including Vail, where parents protesting a mask mandate pushed their way into a board room in April, and in Mesa County, Colorado, where Doug Levinson was among school board members escorted to their cars by officers who had been unable to de-escalate a raucous Aug. 17 meeting. “Why am I doing this?” Levinson asked himself.

Kurt Thigpen wrote in leaving the Washoe County, Nevada, school board that he considered suicide amid relentless bullying and threats led by people who didn’t live in the county, let alone have children in the schools. “I was constantly looking over my shoulder,” he wrote in July.

Susan Crenshaw resigned from the Craig County, Virginia, school board this month with more than a year left in her term after being “blindsided,” she said, by her board’s decision to defy the state’s mask mandate in a move that she said felt more driven by political than educational considerations.

Just this morning our local school district announced that members of the public would no longer be allowed to speak at school board meetings. This is after the last few meetings erupted into chaos over parents protesting in favor or against mask requirements in school.

Someone was arrested after bringing a gun to the last school board meeting!

 

[Cool Cats]

Just this morning our local school district announced that members of the public would no longer be allowed to speak at school board meetings. This is after the last few meetings erupted into chaos over parents protesting in favor or against mask requirements in school.

Someone was arrested after bringing a gun to the last school board meeting!

Well with the gun thing they really have to, for now, close their meetings to the public I agree.

 

[GRT]

Well with the gun thing they really have to, for now, close their meetings to the public I agree.

They might run into Open Meeting Law restrictions, but in my experience, there are a few things they can do. They can limit public input to 30 minutes and allow each speaker no more than 5 minutes, or they ask that the various groups get together and arrange to have a single speaker represent them.

I'm pretty sure most school districts have a strict no-firearm policy, so anyone violating that should be charged.

A few years ago, we had some local county commission meetings that got so heated, numerous sheriff's deputies were stationed in the room. Nothing ever happened, but it sure felt a little scary.

I haven't gone to any recent school board meetings, but I hear they've been pretty active of late. My kids are out of school.

 

[Cool Cats]

A picture is worth 1,000 words

• After months of Michigan school mask protests, anti-anti-maskers mobilize | Bridge Michigan
• Anti-vaccine, anti-mask demonstrations across U.S. take violent turns
• Anti-mask protest disrupts another Utah school district meeting
• Coronavirus Watch: Anti-mask crowd protests school mask mandate
• Anti-mask activist who organized protests in Texas dies of COVID-19
• Hostile school board meetings across nation over COVID-19 policies have members calling it quits

 

[Steelhead]

Is it a crime to forge a vaccine card? And what’s the penalty for using a fake?

A nurse displays a real COVID-19 vaccination card. AP Photo/Craig Ruttle

Schools, businesses, the military and local governments are requiring proof of vaccination. Yet, unlike the European Union and Australia, which have secure digital proof of vaccination, the United States has not created a systematic way to track vaccinations around the nation.

Most places in the U.S. instead rely on paper cards with handwritten notes, which can be easily forged.

This forged COVID-19 vaccination card was seized during a criminal investigation in California.California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control via AP

What is the harm?
A fake vaccination card deceives universities, businesses and employers into granting access they otherwise would not, letting someone use land, buildings or equipment they otherwise would be barred from.

In some cases, such as those involving an astronomy researcher supported by federal grants or athletes in bowl games, that access might be worth thousands of dollars.

More importantly, that fraudulent access might risk the health of students, clients and staffers who rely on vaccination policies for their own safety.

Counterfeiting is serious
So far, no one has been sentenced for creating or possessing fake COVID-19 vaccination cards. It is therefore not clear how courts will evaluate the harm done by this sort of fraud.

But in practice, the law gives prosecutors and judges huge discretion on how to charge and sentence offenders. Typically, judges consider the degree of harm caused or at least the value of the thing that was wrongly acquired. In the case of forged vaccine cards, that is a thorny question.

This makes me wonder how many people who end up in the hospital are lying about their vaccination status. There’s no doubt in my mind that some are but can’t imagine hospital staff are verifying, and just taking their word for it.