Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #85

[mickey2942]

I was just running errands, and was stunned to see parking lots at restaurants full. Crowds of people in bars.

I guess that the prevailing attitude now, is that everyone is going to get Covid, so just get it done. Sick, old, fat people just stay home.

 

[weepingangel]

Families unable to visit Holyoke Soldiers’ Home on Veterans Day after staffer tests positive for coronavirus

https://www.masslive.com/coronavirus/2020/10/families-unable-to-visit-holyoke-soldiers-home-on-veterans-day-after-staffer-tests-positive-for-coronavirus.html
Sbm more at link
HOLYOKE — Families will be barred from visiting loved ones at the Soldiers' Home in Holyoke for two weeks, including on Veterans Day, after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19.

According to a letter that went out to families Thursday from interim Superintendent Val Liptak, the employee does not have a direct care role but works on direct care units. The diagnosis triggered a two-week lockdown of the state-run facility for veterans, which was ravaged by the coronavirus this spring.

The lockdown will prevent families from visiting on the national holiday on Nov. 11, Liptak confirmed.

“Unfortunately, this does affect our extended visitation for Veterans Day. We do look forward to honoring our Veterans throughout the day with special gifts, treats and music. We understand it may be hard to celebrate Veterans Day without seeing your loved one, so we plan to add a Sunday visitation during the week of Veterans Day after visitation resumes. We encourage you to schedule video visits with your loved one during this time,” she wrote.


The staffer was asymptomatic, and was immediately sent home to quarantine, Liptak said. The lockdown also confines veterans to their rooms.

“Per our infection control protocol, Veterans cannot move throughout the facility and we are cancelling visitation for the next two weeks, beginning today,” the letter read.


Earlier this year, families went months without visiting their loved ones. There have been periodic lock-downs since the facility cautiously reopened to limited family visitation June 16.


During a series of hearings before a special legislative committee charged with getting to the root causes of the high death toll, families and staff testified that veterans feel isolated.

One nurse, Cindy Cormier, testified during Tuesday’s hearing at Holyoke Community College.


“I was sitting with one of my guys, and he said: ‘I had the COVID. I was asleep for three months,’” Cormier told the panel. “I said, maybe not for three months, but yeah you were really sick. And he said: ‘I woke up and all my friends were dead.’”

 

[Reasonable & Just]

That was a long read--but a good one. I've wondered many times if the pressure of the pandemic, shutdowns, fear, might be making people more violent. I know they say domestic abuse and child abuse are up, but so many urban areas are seeing widespread rioting, looting, and violence that isn't common in normal years.

I'm not sure a civil war will break out but I do hope they get a handle on the destruction and the violence soon.

Without actual care shown by the government we pay taxes to, that may happen. It's a choice, not an inevitability. JMO.

 

[Spider92]

I was just running errands, and was stunned to see parking lots at restaurants full. Crowds of people in bars.

I guess that the prevailing attitude now, is that everyone is going to get Covid, so just get it done. Sick, old, fat people just stay home.

Craziness. Rainy and raw in New England. I'm content staying inside, watching Thursday Night Football. Highest case count in MA since May - why bother going out?

 

[Spider92]

I was just running errands, and was stunned to see parking lots at restaurants full. Crowds of people in bars.

I guess that the prevailing attitude now, is that everyone is going to get Covid, so just get it done. Sick, old, fat people just stay home.

DBM dup

 

[SouthAussie]

Ugh, I wish I could read the article. It says I've met my monthly article limit though and I'd swear I've never read an article on there before let alone 3 this month! LOL

It says ... paraphrasing, due to copyright. It is primarily about FL's covid strategy.

Shortly after joining the task force, Atlas started encouraging officials to limit testing to only symptomatic people.
He is a neuroradiologist, not an infectious disease expert.
He shared his views with DeSantis and 'several others' in FL.

Atlas and DeSantis toured on 31st August and encouraged less universal testing, more opening of the economy and schools.
Atlas is videotaped saying "The purpose of testing is to stop people from dying, ... When you start introducing closure of schools because people have positive, asymptomatic tests, that’s sort of not the purpose of testing.” DeSantis agreed.
If Atlas and DeSantis' strategy is the cause of the decreased testing in FL, this would reflect the president's June wishes of "slow the testing down, please".

Experts say asymptomatic covid carriers are still contagious.
Miami Beach mayor said "We are flying blind without tests".
A WH spokesperson denies that Atlas said the things that he has been publicly seen to be saying.
A spokesperson for DeSantis says he is doing things his own way (not being influenced).
Atlas is the president's most favoured advisor.
An economist, John Cochrane, says Atlas' words come from an economic strategy.

One of Atlas' first moves was to change CDC testing guidelines (about asymptomatic testing).
This change was later reversed due to scientist objections.
DeSantis has been modelling the president's view of the economy reopening as soon as possible.
A health official said that, following a meeting with DeSantis, it was like DeSantis going to Cape Canaveral and giving a lecture on rocket science.
There is no way to hide the pandemic by not testing - said a senior scholar at John Hopkins.

The WH and Atlas speak positively about the Great Barrington Declaration.
In September, DeSantis was in a public conference with authors of the Great Barrington Declaration. The next day he suddenly reopened the state, no masks required, no restrictions on schools or businesses.

Dr. Scott Atlas push to 'slow the testing down' tracks with dramatic decline in one key state

 

[BUF]

Families unable to visit Holyoke Soldiers’ Home on Veterans Day after staffer tests positive for coronavirus

https://www.masslive.com/coronavirus/2020/10/families-unable-to-visit-holyoke-soldiers-home-on-veterans-day-after-staffer-tests-positive-for-coronavirus.html
Sbm more at link
HOLYOKE — Families will be barred from visiting loved ones at the Soldiers' Home in Holyoke for two weeks, including on Veterans Day, after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19.

According to a letter that went out to families Thursday from interim Superintendent Val Liptak, the employee does not have a direct care role but works on direct care units. The diagnosis triggered a two-week lockdown of the state-run facility for veterans, which was ravaged by the coronavirus this spring.

The lockdown will prevent families from visiting on the national holiday on Nov. 11, Liptak confirmed.

“Unfortunately, this does affect our extended visitation for Veterans Day. We do look forward to honoring our Veterans throughout the day with special gifts, treats and music. We understand it may be hard to celebrate Veterans Day without seeing your loved one, so we plan to add a Sunday visitation during the week of Veterans Day after visitation resumes. We encourage you to schedule video visits with your loved one during this time,” she wrote.


The staffer was asymptomatic, and was immediately sent home to quarantine, Liptak said. The lockdown also confines veterans to their rooms.

“Per our infection control protocol, Veterans cannot move throughout the facility and we are cancelling visitation for the next two weeks, beginning today,” the letter read.


Earlier this year, families went months without visiting their loved ones. There have been periodic lock-downs since the facility cautiously reopened to limited family visitation June 16.


During a series of hearings before a special legislative committee charged with getting to the root causes of the high death toll, families and staff testified that veterans feel isolated.

One nurse, Cindy Cormier, testified during Tuesday’s hearing at Holyoke Community College.


“I was sitting with one of my guys, and he said: ‘I had the COVID. I was asleep for three months,’” Cormier told the panel. “I said, maybe not for three months, but yeah you were really sick. And he said: ‘I woke up and all my friends were dead.’”

“I was sitting with one of my guys, and he said: ‘I had the COVID. I was asleep for three months,’” Cormier told the panel. “I said, maybe not for three months, but yeah you were really sick. And he said: ‘I woke up and all my friends were dead.’’

^^^ This is so incredibly sad!!

 

[ColyH]

The U.S. had over 91000 positives cases today which I believe is the most we have had since the pandemic began.

 

[10ofRods]

That and rallies, some political, some not.

Any large gathering, especially indoors, is a huge risk. But ones that pull mostly younger people (like Saturday night rallies for BLM) will have far fewer serious cases and deaths resulting.

Those that pull older people (mega-churches, political rallies, etc) will have a higher percentage of mortality and critical illness.

It was odd to watch the outdoor BLM protests and see mostly young people (I'd say 18-25) with many of them wearing masks, and then to watch other indoor political events where the average age looked to be 50 (with lots of people older than that) and no masks.

Then some people want to insist that both types of events have equal consequences for human life - and for our medical workers. But they do not.

Ugh, I wish I could read the article. It says I've met my monthly article limit though and I'd swear I've never read an article on there before let alone 3 this month! LOL

Yass! So that in the next round (if immunity really vanishes sometime after 6 months) the currently unfat healthy people will now be immune-damaged sick people!

Oof. Ay-yi-yi.

I hope the thin, healthy young people are fully prepared to do all of the necessary jobs of society...

 

[Spider92]

The U.S. had over 91000 positives cases today which I believe is the most we have had since the pandemic began.

And 33 states with 1,000+ cases. That's breadth, even in an era where some seem to be pushing for less testing.

 

[10ofRods]

It says ... paraphrasing, due to copyright. It is primarily about FL's covid strategy.

Shortly after joining the task force, Atlas started encouraging officials to limit testing to only symptomatic people.
He is a neuroradiologist, not an infectious disease expert.
He shared his views with DeSantis and 'several others' in FL.

Atlas and DeSantis toured on 31st August and encouraged less universal testing, more opening of the economy and schools.
Atlas is videotaped saying "The purpose of testing is to stop people from dying, ... When you start introducing closure of schools because people have positive, asymptomatic tests, that’s sort of not the purpose of testing.” DeSantis agreed.
If Atlas and DeSantis' strategy is the cause of the decreased testing in FL, this would reflect the president's June wishes of "slow the testing down, please".

Experts say asymptomatic covid carriers are still contagious.
Miami Beach mayor said "We are flying blind without tests".
A WH spokesperson denies that Atlas said the things that he has been publicly seen to be saying.
A spokesperson for DeSantis says he is doing things his own way (not being influenced).
Atlas is the president's most favoured advisor.
An economist, John Cochrane, says Atlas' words come from an economic strategy.

One of Atlas' first moves was to change CDC testing guidelines (about asymptomatic testing).
This change was later reversed due to scientist objections.
DeSantis has been modelling the president's view of the economy reopening as soon as possible.
A health official said that, following a meeting with DeSantis, it was like DeSantis going to Cape Canaveral and giving a lecture on rocket science.
There is no way to hide the pandemic by not testing - said a senior scholar at John Hopkins.

The WH and Atlas speak positively about the Great Barrington Declaration.
In September, DeSantis was in a public conference with authors of the Great Barrington Declaration. The next day he suddenly reopened the state, no masks required, no restrictions on schools or businesses.

Dr. Scott Atlas push to 'slow the testing down' tracks with dramatic decline in one key state

Horrifying - but typical of people associated with the Hoover Institute.

It's medieval. It's going to cost lives. It's evil. IMO.

 

[Warwick1991]

Ugh, I wish I could read the article. It says I've met my monthly article limit though and I'd swear I've never read an article on there before let alone 3 this month! LOL

CNN has a similar article. Florida covid-19 testing declined while Atlas pushed to 'slow the testing down'

 

[SoCalDavidS]

Thursday October 29, 2020

91,530 - New Cases

1,047 - Deaths

Coronavirus Update (Live): 45,313,114 Cases and 1,185,734 Deaths from COVID-19 Virus Pandemic - Worldometer

 

[Reasonable & Just]

CNN has a similar article. Florida covid-19 testing declined while Atlas pushed to 'slow the testing down'

One day, after we have gotten through the worst of this pandemic and gotten a vaccine we can trust, our Dr. Atlas will have some explaining to do.

 

[10ofRods]

Thursday October 29, 2020

91,530 - New Cases

1,047 - Deaths

Coronavirus Update (Live): 45,313,114 Cases and 1,185,734 Deaths from COVID-19 Virus Pandemic - Worldometer

It's weird, but at a certain point in the day, I can't even look. I'm somehow comforted when someone else posts the data. The deaths relate to the cases from 3-4-5 weeks ago.

We are at almost 100,000 cases per day in the U.S. California (by far the most populous state) is in 4th place after being in 1st place until about a week ago - this is not good).

IMO, if FL were testing as it should, it would be higher on the list - but it's high enough.

But it's Wisconsin that stands out. With only about 6M people, they have more cases than California (about 5000 - and they may be lagging a bit in testing).

3 million Americans are actively shedding Covid - that we know of. 1 out of every 100 people every where you go.

Higher in many places. Well, all we can do is watch. It's all in motion now, and hopefully many people will decide to stay safe.

 

[ilovewings]

She is 17 years old. Displaying symptoms that are common for her age group. If it wasn't for this year and COVID, we would have just assumed it was a bad cold.....so far, anyway.

No idea how she got it. We have been very limited with direct contacts, wear masks, etc. Might have been from one of my youngest child's therapists. We found out last week that that therapist had had a direct exposure to one of her clients the family was positive. That family did NOT inform the therapist or the company she works for. Grrrrr!

gg
So many selfish people: I hope your daughter recovers soon

It says ... paraphrasing, due to copyright. It is primarily about FL's covid strategy.

Shortly after joining the task force, Atlas started encouraging officials to limit testing to only symptomatic people.
He is a neuroradiologist, not an infectious disease expert.
He shared his views with DeSantis and 'several others' in FL.

Atlas and DeSantis toured on 31st August and encouraged less universal testing, more opening of the economy and schools.
Atlas is videotaped saying "The purpose of testing is to stop people from dying, ... When you start introducing closure of schools because people have positive, asymptomatic tests, that’s sort of not the purpose of testing.” DeSantis agreed.
If Atlas and DeSantis' strategy is the cause of the decreased testing in FL, this would reflect the president's June wishes of "slow the testing down, please".

Experts say asymptomatic covid carriers are still contagious.
Miami Beach mayor said "We are flying blind without tests".
A WH spokesperson denies that Atlas said the things that he has been publicly seen to be saying.
A spokesperson for DeSantis says he is doing things his own way (not being influenced).
Atlas is the president's most favoured advisor.
An economist, John Cochrane, says Atlas' words come from an economic strategy.

One of Atlas' first moves was to change CDC testing guidelines (about asymptomatic testing).
This change was later reversed due to scientist objections.
DeSantis has been modelling the president's view of the economy reopening as soon as possible.
A health official said that, following a meeting with DeSantis, it was like DeSantis going to Cape Canaveral and giving a lecture on rocket science.
There is no way to hide the pandemic by not testing - said a senior scholar at John Hopkins.

The WH and Atlas speak positively about the Great Barrington Declaration.
In September, DeSantis was in a public conference with authors of the Great Barrington Declaration. The next day he suddenly reopened the state, no masks required, no restrictions on schools or businesses.

Dr. Scott Atlas push to 'slow the testing down' tracks with dramatic decline in one key state

Let us call this what it is: a death sentence for many- such negligence is so unacceptable

 

[mickey2942]

The U.S. had over 91000 positives cases today which I believe is the most we have had since the pandemic began.

Montana exceeds 10,000 active COVID-19 cases

 

[10ofRods]

Montana exceeds 10,000 active COVID-19 cases

Oh no. [[virtual hugs and support]]

 

[ZoriahNZ]

The more studies and research being done to understand this virus and how it can be contained, the better, in my opinion.

Here's an interesting publication in The Lancet about New Zealand's COVID-19 response.

Lessons from New Zealand's COVID-19 outbreak response

In the absence of a vaccine for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), or of highly effective pharmaceutical treatments for COVID-19, countries have implemented a large range of non-pharmaceutical interventions to control the spread of the virus.
1
These interventions differ in their level of stringency (ie, the severity of the measures) and their ultimate objective (eg, prevent health systems being overwhelmed, suppress incidence to low levels, or reduce incidence to zero and keep it there). With many countries facing epidemic resurgence, evaluating the impact of different strategies implemented in the early phases of the pandemic is crucial for developing an effective long-term response.

 

[10ofRods]

It says ... paraphrasing, due to copyright. It is primarily about FL's covid strategy.

Shortly after joining the task force, Atlas started encouraging officials to limit testing to only symptomatic people.
He is a neuroradiologist, not an infectious disease expert.
He shared his views with DeSantis and 'several others' in FL.

Atlas and DeSantis toured on 31st August and encouraged less universal testing, more opening of the economy and schools.
Atlas is videotaped saying "The purpose of testing is to stop people from dying, ... When you start introducing closure of schools because people have positive, asymptomatic tests, that’s sort of not the purpose of testing.” DeSantis agreed.
If Atlas and DeSantis' strategy is the cause of the decreased testing in FL, this would reflect the president's June wishes of "slow the testing down, please".

Experts say asymptomatic covid carriers are still contagious.
Miami Beach mayor said "We are flying blind without tests".
A WH spokesperson denies that Atlas said the things that he has been publicly seen to be saying.
A spokesperson for DeSantis says he is doing things his own way (not being influenced).
Atlas is the president's most favoured advisor.
An economist, John Cochrane, says Atlas' words come from an economic strategy.

One of Atlas' first moves was to change CDC testing guidelines (about asymptomatic testing).
This change was later reversed due to scientist objections.
DeSantis has been modelling the president's view of the economy reopening as soon as possible.
A health official said that, following a meeting with DeSantis, it was like DeSantis going to Cape Canaveral and giving a lecture on rocket science.
There is no way to hide the pandemic by not testing - said a senior scholar at John Hopkins.

The WH and Atlas speak positively about the Great Barrington Declaration.
In September, DeSantis was in a public conference with authors of the Great Barrington Declaration. The next day he suddenly reopened the state, no masks required, no restrictions on schools or businesses.

Dr. Scott Atlas push to 'slow the testing down' tracks with dramatic decline in one key state

I can't resist mentioning that he's not even a practicing neuroradiologist. He hasn't been - for years. He works on the economics of MRI machines and whether it would improve US and world health to have more or them (it would, he concludes - boosting sales of MRI machines...nothing wrong with that, but that's his job at Hoover - to drive the economy in the healthcare sector).