The Coronavirus Thread

The Times article makes perfect sense to me. The SF Gate piece, for my tastes, was a bit too interested in lowering the fear of CV19 by demonstrating the death rate is artificially high--i.e. "See, it's basically the flu after all." Personally, I don't think that's the way to deal with the fear. Not at this juncture.

 

We actually want the feds to be controlling the supply and distributing it to those most in need rather than having individual entities (hospitals, or even states) competing against each other for scarce resources. Unfortunately for it not to seem sinister it requires a level of trust that the feds will do the right thing that has been severely eroded by bumbling and seeming actual malice (like when Trump talked about how governors should be “appreciative” if they want a phone call).

 

Yeah, I have no issue with centralized distribution if it works. But to suggest it's the states' responsibility and then to turnaround and compete? Actually, the picture that's being painted is a step beyond competing.

 

I think decisions on "reopening the country" is dependent on location. In areas that have been lightly hit, re-opening to a certain extent may make sense. It would still require no gatherings, masks, social distancing, high-risk people stay home, etc... but many non-essential businesses could return to work at low risk.

In other areas of the country, I agree... it would be a mistake. I think the key is that it needs to be a local decision based on credible data.

Not everywhere is NYC and I think https://infection2020.com/ (change the map legend to % infected) provides a good window into what much of the country is experiencing.

 

I gave you the negative due to being bias. I do have to hit on Cuomo for not doing the shutdowns sooner.

Yeah we know about Desantis and Trump, however, on Desantis comments about there's no deaths from COVID-19 under 25, that is true for Florida only. He did point out that statement.

Look, I'm not really a fan of Desantis as of late. I think he is making too many stupid moves. He is only doing things better than Rick Scott.

 

Some intelligent dialogue re: "restarting America": https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/10/...action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage

 

Paywalled, drat, I'm not a subscriber

 

The American Enterprise Institute published a well reasoned report on a possible road map to reopening and alternet.org published a summary of the main points:

Even Britt Hume of Fox news is starting to criticize Trump.

 

The time article says the same thing: we have no idea how many people are infected.
One thing is certain: if even the lowest infection rates predictions, from the models, are valid, we have millions and millions of people with or recovered from CV. And that means that the calculation of the mortality rate based on the number of currently confirmed cases is pure BS. ​

 

I've been paying attention to virus stories in Australia, the UK and the US for personal reasons.

The virus seems to have been politicised to an insane degree in the US media, vastly less so in the other countries. Talking virus with an emphasis on politics just combines the worst aspect of both (scary uncertainty of the former and the crazy divisiveness of the latter). It's probably a combination better reserved for once things are less critical.

 

This is what EMS is facing in NYC:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52196815

 

This was brutal to read, but worthwhile. Thanks for sharing.

 

I've ridden along with paramedics, chased attendings around the ER, spent time in the OR as part of my research for a medical device company. My shifts were usually only 12 hrs. I would come away physically and emotionally drained, humbled, and with renewed admiration and respect for the special people that do this day in and day out.

This new situation is completely off the charts, new territory, extreme challenge.

 

PBS interviewed two EMTs the other night for Newshour. One of them said the following: "The average salary for an EMT in New York state, doing what we're doing through all of this, is about $37,000 a year" and "We do this because we love it. Everyone knows there's no money in it. But, right now, I'm doing all of this with no health insurance."

 

I’m here lurking, enjoying the commentary, but mainly annoyed at this situation from many facets. I recently had a personal experience with this whole thing.
I’ve had mild symptoms with no fever for a little while. After discussing with many people and reading a lot; I was convinced I had a low-level infection and raised my concerns with my occupational health at the VA Hospital where I work. They said that I couldn’t get tested as an outpatient because the hospital only had limited tests.
I am a veteran, employee and frontline healthcare worker and I couldn’t get tested at the VA that I work at!!!
What a f-ing joke. This is federal healthcare at its finest.
I called Kaiser Permanente, my private healthcare provider. I had a phone appointment that day, testing within 12 hours and results 36 hours after that. I was negative. However, my work is following CDC guidelines. Even though I have a negative test, I’m unable to return to work until I have 72 hours symptom free from my mystery illness.
This led me to really contemplate how this testing is pretty much shit unless you are positive. I looked and couldn’t find the sensitivity & specificity of the test used. However, it seems the CDC doesn’t trust a negative result either.

I want to pause and let that sink in.

This is very frustrating because at first I was told I would have to stay out of work for 14 days and it might mean not getting paid for a portion of that, but things got sorted out.

In terms of the surge of patients, I work in an area that is expecting to become a hotspot in the next week or so.

Needless to say, I’m very pessimistic about this whole situation.

 

NO HEALTH INSURANCE for the some of the very people who are the front line, possibly the last line of defense between the pandemic and death for many.

Without sensitivity and specificity we might as well be throwing darts in the dark while drunk. Please stay safe, be well, and thank-you for your contribution.

 

Thanks for putting this together, Marv. This is one of the more useful ways I've seen of looking at the data. The folks over at the NYT Upshot have a similar page where they break trends out by metro area rather than by state. It's cool, and you can search for any major metro you like. Accessible here: [link to metro area tracker]. When broken out this way, the plot of daily reported deaths cases looks like this (below). The big gray spike in the background is New Orleans.

 

My mom told me how a coworker of hers has a father in law in NYC. He caught covid 19 and unfortunately did not make it.

The morgue is out of space for bodies. Funeral homes also don't enough space for all the bodies. The hospital did find space for now but is giving the family 14 days or his body will go to Hart Island:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...ench-getting-built-nyc-s-hart-island-n1181056

Even if the family does claim the body and has a funeral service, the clothes he wore has already been removed and incinerated. The family can bring clothes but the staff will not put it on his body as it is infectious. The clothes will be placed next to the body and he will be nude.

Michigan has roughly similar numbers of confirmed cases as California yet deaths are double of CA. I would be concerned for MI and especially Detroit of being another epicenter but with much less resources to deal with it than NY. New Orleans also looks worrisome.