Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #51

[Henry2326]

Texas will allow its coronavirus stay-at-home order to expire and begin re-opening businesses including restaurants and retail stores in phases beginning on Friday, state Governor Greg Abbott said.

The first business reopenings will require safe practices including limiting the number of people allowed into stores, movie theaters and malls to 25% of their licensed capacity, Abbott said on Monday. A second phase of openings could begin two weeks later.

"We want to reopen as quickly and as safely as we can," said Abbott, citing the use of capacity limits that match those now in use at grocery and home improvement stores in the state.

Texas to lift some virus-linked restrictions, restart business in phases: governor

 

[Cool Cats]

That Kitchen sink needs to have Covid toes, fingers, and eyes in it, too.



Taking pics of my feet all the time now... it's just a crazy past time during isolation since I tried to get a good pic of my toe to send to the doctor. I think it looks better today. My kids don't believe in Covid toes. Some people just don't.

HA! In so much havoc I personally have to reach for some humor or I will go crazy...

I don't know if coivid toes is a real thing or not?

Not making a joke about covid toes... But....
Desperate residents have used tangerine peel and melon rinds to cover their faces, as well as plastic helmets and helmets made of lettuce.

 

[LadyL]

China has not let any ships, that I know of, leave for anyplace but Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia.

Maybe also South Korea, not sure.

yes after they were shipped, Amazon posted a 'problem with order' message - too late to cancel and ask for refund
I thought I had carefully screened out items coming from China but I must've missed this one ... I was blinded by the good reviews I guess lol
oh well, it's not that much of a loss in terms of money; I just hope we start seeing local supplies of these pandemic items

 

[zecats]

Today, they only allow plasma donations every 28 days (AFAIK). 13 times a year.

The recommendation today is to wait 8 weeks in between blood donations, but I know that some places allow it more often.

Platelets, I think, can be given once a week.

Perhaps I'm confusing platelets with plasma. I know several of my friends and I gave twice a week and first donation we were paid $10. Second in the same week, we earned $15. It was quite a while ago. They took out blood and then spun it to separate out the red cells, which were then retuned to our vein in a solution. It was all right to do it twice a week.

The things college student will do for money, though I presume it was also helpful.

 

[BeckyF]

Missouri businesses opening 5/4. I don't agree with this decision at all. People will not adhere to social distancing guidelines any more than they have since they were put in place. It's going to be a free for all. I'll just keep staying home.

No Limits on Crowd Size or Business Type Under Missouri's Reopening Plan

Other news is that SSM Health is furloughing at least 2000 employees in 5 states, Missouri being one, because there are not enough patients. ??? I guess because they aren't allowing patients in their doctors offices due to the pandemic.

SSM Health is putting 2,000 employees on furlough

This is madness!

 

[Curious Me]

Someone posted this link earlier. Dr. Breen sounds so lively and fun. She was a joy to those who knew her. This is just heartbreaking. My prayers go out to all her Family and loved ones.

Top E.R. Doctor Who Treated Virus Patients Dies by Suicide

"Dr. Breen, 49, did not have a history of mental illness, her father said. But he said that when he last spoke with her, she seemed detached, and he could tell something was wrong. She had described to him an onslaught of patients who were dying before they could even be taken out of ambulances."

and this

"Once a year, she threw a large party on the roof deck of her Manhattan home."

"She was very close with her sisters and mother, who lived in Virginia...."

RIP Dr. Breen

 

[LadyL]

In Massachusetts, many grocery stores have gone to reduced hours, assuming that is because of the danger of spreading coronavirus. So pretty much more people get packed into less hours, with less distancing, and more risk. Grocery stores near me have been pretty crowded, with lines whenever you check out.

I get that is all new to us, but how about common sense. How about 24 hour grocery stores so that you can go when it is much less crowded, particularly if you are at risk? If there is a curfew, then shouldn't hours extend outside the curfew hours?

grocery stores everywhere reduced their hours to give them more time to disinfect and restock

 

[LadyL]

WHO chief berates the world for 'not listening carefully' to the agency's warnings about coronavirus on January 30 when there were only 82 Covid-19 cases outside China

Faith Ridler
3 hrs ago
...
The World Health Organisation's chief has berated the world for 'not listening carefully' the agency's warnings about coronavirus as early as January 30.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the UN agency had sounded the highest level of alarm over Covid-19 early on but lamented that not all countries heeded its advice.

He added that coronavirus had constituted a 'Public Health Emergency of International Concern' on January 30, when there were only 82 cases registered outside China.

'The world should have listened to WHO then carefully,' he said.
...

we WS'ers listened ...

 

[katydid23]

I understand if you Scroll and Roll, I just want to explain how outrageous it is that my provider is doing this. It seems illegal to make me go pick up my medication. I hope my children will sue if I get Covid-19 and end up dying from being exposed. It'd be too hard to prove tho'. I used to order refills online and they'd mail me my Rx. MOO, it's not right, it really seems illegal. Here I sit at home isolating for 40+ days, but the health care machine drags me out in the middle of a Pandemic. I'm just disappointed in my provider making such a mandate.

Seinfeld rerun has the "toilet paper episode"...can't spare a square.

Can you get someone else to pick them up for you?

 

[The Night Watchman]

New IHME estimates for the coronavirus outbreak and as always, transparent explanations as to why models change with time.

Changes in timing estimates for the consideration of easing of distancing measures pushes things out a few days. They explain that the less optimistic output is the result of slightly higher deaths rates than expected for certain states. Bit of a problem there as what is reported as a COVID death, may or may not be related for lots of reasons. There are arguments for undercounting as well as overcounting CV deaths.

U.S. deaths from coronavirus in this outbreak has been increased from 68,000 to 74,000.

IHME | COVID-19 Projections

Between our first release (April 17) and yesterday’s release (April 21) on potential timing for easing distancing measures in the US, states shifted an average of 1.3 days later; the median, a metric less sensitive to outliers, was 0 days. Relative to yesterday, today’s release has a median change of 1 day later than what was previously estimated.

While the majority of states saw minor shifts in estimated dates over these releases, five states saw larger changes in their projected dates since our initial release on April 17: Washington, Florida, North Dakota, Arizona, and Kansas.

The exact reasons why the dates have shifted are unique to each state, but some shared characteristics are present. First, all five states now have higher cumulative COVID-19 death projections since the April 17 release. The updated death model, which now uses COVID-19 cases as a leading indicator to predict epidemic peak and overall shape, has resulted in longer peaks and tails for many states. Except for North Dakota, these states appear to have already experienced peaks in daily COVID-19 deaths, but the duration and shapes of their downward trajectories are changing as updated data can be incorporated into the models. For instance, in Washington state, an uptick in daily COVID-19 deaths captured in time series between the April 17 release (input data through April 16) and yesterday’s release (input data through April 20) increased the state’s total COVID-19 deaths to date by 30. Subsequently, Washington’s descent from its epidemic peak is now slower than previously estimated – and thus the projected timing of potentially easing distancing measures is being pushed back further as well.

 

[margarita25]

I don't know if you live around here, but there's Red Tide going on causing Bioluminescence that makes those glowy waves at night. It's fascinating and quite beautiful to see. I guess you could sit in your car to watch it. As you know, you can't sit on that beach yet.

Must be stinky though?

I’d like to see a video of the bioluminescence

I’m jealous you live in San Diego.

 

[margarita25]

we WS'ers listened ...

We sure as hell did. (Eta at least some of us did)

Poor man must be so frustrated. They’ve been trying SO HARD. Bless them.

I’m still on April 17 conference but getting caught up slowly but surely.

 

[Curious Me]

Can you get someone else to pick them up for you?

I don't think so. My son offered. If I order a refill online and they mail it, it's easy. If I order online but pick it up, I have to show them my special Kaiser provider card. Thanks for asking.

 

[Cool Cats]

Thankx everyone for posting on here! Thankx @Tricia, @sillybilly, all of you...I go here first thing to learn about the latest!

It helps..!!

 

[firebird]

I think that idea is guaranteed to be challenged in court.

JMO

It's voluntary. I'll be interested to see how many people go along with it.

 

[firebird]

Can you get someone else to pick them up for you?

I was just going to post that. I usually pick up my own, but one of my minor children was allowed to pick up several for me just recently. None were scheduled, though.

 

[cass523]

Where are you? Approximately?

When I clicked on some of the posts today about people, surfers returning to the beach, I saw a video showing dolphins swimming through bioluminescent algae off the coast in CA. @Curious Me may have been referring to this?

"A group of dolphins gliding through the red tide in Newport Beach created a hypnotizing neon, bioluminescent glow!"

 

[Curious Me]

I wonder if we have it up on the Central Coast, because if so - I want to see it, it's been so long!

Must be stinky though?

I’d like to see a video of the bioluminescence

I’m jealous you live in San Diego.

In the middle of a Pandemic Quarantine the ocean tries to entice us to come out of isolation. The ocean wants to give us a pretty treat. Take a look at the Bioluminescence.
Natural Phenomenon Turns San Diego’s Waves Electric Blue

Used to get around town more, and it was much more mellow in the day. My son took his family for a ride to see the glowy waves. Didn't get a chance to ask him how it went.

 

[margarita25]

I wonder if we have it up on the Central Coast, because if so - I want to see it, it's been so long!

(There’s an older thread on Red Tide, iirc (Florida). Interesting stuff. Lake Ocheekobee spill off, environmental pollution aspects...

ETA:
FL - Red Tide and toxicity to marine life in SW Florida, Aug 2018 )

 

[katydid23]

I don't think so. My son offered. If I order a refill online and they mail it, it's easy. If I order online but pick it up, I have to show them my special Kaiser provider card. Thanks for asking.

Right, but my daughter picked up my meds last month and I gave her my medicare card and she just signed for the meds herself. But maybe different pharmacies have different rules. This was at Walgreens

I bet you can call and ask though, if your son could pick it up, and you could pay over the phone?