Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #73

[beatrixpotter]

How the Navajo Nation slowed one of the worst Covid-19 outbreaks in the US

The Navajo nation was doing really badly at first but has really turned things around, especially with all the limitations they have with lack of good healthcare, limited grocery stores, lack of access to running water etc.

"How has the Navajo Nation responded to Covid-19?

Jonathan Nez
The Navajo Nation is locked down — we’re telling residents to please stay home, and visitors to pass through. We have travel advisories against leaving the Navajo Nation, and we’ve told citizens living off the reservation that now’s not the time to come visit relatives.

We’re asking everyone to wear a mask, social distance, wash their hands, and stay home. Since early April, we mandated mask use in public.

It’s concerning that Arizona still doesn’t mandate masks, although New Mexico has. Data shows that wearing masks slows the spread of Covid-19. If the Navajo Nation is to be a case study, we had a fast increase in cases — we have multiple generations of family living under one roof, so Covid spread like wildfire — but wearing masks has flattened our numbers.

The Indian Health Service did a surge projection in March where they suggested that our peak of hospital use would be in mid-May. We went door to door on a public health campaign, and the numbers show we beat that projection by a whole month — the peak of our cases actually happened in mid-April. Since then, we’ve been on a downward trend."

"
We’ve gone door to door. We have a database of high-risk patients and when we saw the virus coming in February we started reaching out to them.

We framed it within our cultural teaching: We teach that we have fought monsters, but today we also have modern monsters, like alcoholism, depression, suicide, and disease.

In our society, we value our elders and we let people know they are warriors, and they are supposed to protect their families — in this case, to shield their elders, who have traditional and cultural knowledge for the future of our people. We’re also doing daily updates on Facebook, and you can watch a town hall meetings online every Tuesday and Thursday.

There’s always a fear of catching the virus. I’m out there [working in the community], so I had to move into a different room in my home — like a lot of first responders, I’m isolating away from my family, just in case."

 

[LadyL]

'Hug your family a little tighter': COVID shatters family, leaving behind brother and sister

 

[SouthAussie]

Unreal.
As President Donald Trump continues to demand a return to in-person classes for schools around the country despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the school attended by his youngest son has received an order prohibiting on-campus learning for the start of the school year.
Private school attended by Barron Trump prohibited from in-person learning until October as President pushes openings - CNNPolitics

Maybe someone can explain to me why the directive (the 'order') from the Dept of Health & Human Svcs is only for Independent and Private Schools? What about the public schools? Are there no public schools in Montgomery County?

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/OPI/Resources/Files/pdf/2020/NonPublicSchools_07-31-20.pdf

 

[SouthAussie]

Victoria where i live is going into the highest level of lockdown come wednesday

level 4 lockdown... omg... please pray for us

Hang in there Ping. It's going to be alright. This is the best thing that can happen at the moment.

One in four people there are not following the quarantine-at-home directive. This way, whoever is out and about will be super noticeable and subject to the scrutiny of the authorities.

 

[musicaljoke]

How the Navajo Nation slowed one of the worst Covid-19 outbreaks in the US

The Navajo nation was doing really badly at first but has really turned things around, especially with all the limitations they have with lack of good healthcare, limited grocery stores, lack of access to running water etc.

"How has the Navajo Nation responded to Covid-19?

Jonathan Nez
The Navajo Nation is locked down — we’re telling residents to please stay home, and visitors to pass through. We have travel advisories against leaving the Navajo Nation, and we’ve told citizens living off the reservation that now’s not the time to come visit relatives.

We’re asking everyone to wear a mask, social distance, wash their hands, and stay home. Since early April, we mandated mask use in public.

It’s concerning that Arizona still doesn’t mandate masks, although New Mexico has. Data shows that wearing masks slows the spread of Covid-19. If the Navajo Nation is to be a case study, we had a fast increase in cases — we have multiple generations of family living under one roof, so Covid spread like wildfire — but wearing masks has flattened our numbers.

The Indian Health Service did a surge projection in March where they suggested that our peak of hospital use would be in mid-May. We went door to door on a public health campaign, and the numbers show we beat that projection by a whole month — the peak of our cases actually happened in mid-April. Since then, we’ve been on a downward trend."

"
We’ve gone door to door. We have a database of high-risk patients and when we saw the virus coming in February we started reaching out to them.

We framed it within our cultural teaching: We teach that we have fought monsters, but today we also have modern monsters, like alcoholism, depression, suicide, and disease.

In our society, we value our elders and we let people know they are warriors, and they are supposed to protect their families — in this case, to shield their elders, who have traditional and cultural knowledge for the future of our people. We’re also doing daily updates on Facebook, and you can watch a town hall meetings online every Tuesday and Thursday.

There’s always a fear of catching the virus. I’m out there [working in the community], so I had to move into a different room in my home — like a lot of first responders, I’m isolating away from my family, just in case."

I am interested in the way the Navajo are teaching their people that they are warriors who are supposed to protect their families and shield their elders. They wear masks.

<modsnip>

Men are less likely to wear masks ... | Arwa Mahdawi

 

[mickey2942]

If they extend them, I hope my employer shuts down again for awhile. I can easily double my $$ collecting unemployment. Jmo

ETA I work part time.

I know, the intent was good, but implemented badly. For states with very low maximum benefit rates, like Alabama, this was helping higher wage earners. For others, it was more than they make working.

It will be interesting to see what happens. But, this extra money has definitely helped people out.

 

[beatrixpotter]

Lung, immune function in kids could protect from severe COVID-19

"
These profoundly decreased rates of symptomatic infection, hospitalization, and death are well beyond statistical significance, require further examination, and may hold the key to identifying therapeutic agents," the authors wrote.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2s, called ACE2, are the doors that allow SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, to enter the body's cells. Children naturally have less ACE2 in the lungs than adults.

"ACE2 are important for viral entry and there seems to be less of them in children, because they increase with age," "

 

[SouthAussie]

Maybe someone can explain to me why the directive (the 'order') from the Dept of Health & Human Svcs is only for Independent and Private Schools? What about the public schools? Are there no public schools in Montgomery County?

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/OPI/Resources/Files/pdf/2020/NonPublicSchools_07-31-20.pdf

Just answering (one of) my own questions ... there are over 100 public schools in Montgomery County.

I wonder why they are not included in the prohibition of re-opening for in-person instruction until 1st October 2020, issued by the Dept of Health & Human Services.

I would have thought that the dept was responsible for directives that included everyone in that county.


https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/OPI/Resources/Files/pdf/2020/NonPublicSchools_07-31-20.pdf
At a Glance Reports - Office of Shared Accountability (OSA)- Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD

 

[beatrixpotter]

Public Transit Officials Fear Virus Could Send Systems Into ‘Death Spiral’

“Unless the economy comes ripping right back, and there’s a vaccine, and social distancing is eliminated, we fall off the financial cliff in 2023,” Mr. Tumlin said. “That would result in such severe service cuts that it puts us on what is called the transit death spiral.”

As transit use plunged across the country because of the pandemic, the economy cratered into a recession, putting nearly 11 percent of Americans on the unemployment rolls and closing about 66,000 small businesses, dealing a blow to the sales and income tax revenues that many city and states use to fund transit agencies."

 

[seekingjustice**]

Thanks appreciate it, we should find out today just how bad this lockdown is going to be

but news so far suggests its an entire city wide shut down for 6 weeks, so this should be fun

We sure have been on a roller coaster these last three weeks haven't we Ping? I'm in Melbourne and just waiting for today's briefing from Dan Andrews to find out what the next stage will look like.

 

[PingTheRouter]

We sure have been on a roller coaster these last three weeks haven't we Ping? I'm in Melbourne and just waiting for today's briefing from Dan Andrews to find out what the next stage will look like.

Sure have, its been a wild ride here, its just so upsetting because we got so close to getting rid of corona virus and then the hotel saga happened, without that we would be corona virus free, so this stings it really does

also todays presser is after lunch apparently, and you know what that means bad news

 

[SouthAussie]

Sure have, its been a wild ride here, its just so upsetting because we got so close to getting rid of corona virus and then the hotel saga happened, without that we would be corona virus free, so this stings it really does

also todays presser is after lunch apparently, and you know what that means bad news

And you know it would have helped if everyone did exactly what they were supposed to do.

Not driving 100s of kms for a Big Mac, police not having to issue 168 tickets in 24 hours for flouting covid rules, not driving to Geelong for some 'fresh air' .....


"We are still continuing to see appalling behaviour. I know Victorians themselves are fed up with it, I am fed up with it, Victoria Police are fed up with it," Ms Neville said.
"Can I be really clear, just in case there is any doubt at all, that there is absolutely no reason or need to drive from Melbourne to Wodonga to have a Big Mac.
Man fined after driving 300km 'for a Big Mac'

 

[10ofRods]

Every Faculty Member on This Campus Can Teach Outside

It's nice to see people thinking ahead, being realistic and trying to find ways to work with the situation instead of trying to forcing normal to work.

"Elizabeth A. Forys, one of the leaders of Eckerd’s outdoor-instruction initiative, is an experienced outdoor instructor, having taught environmental biology and ornithology classes outside for years. So when her campus closed because of Covid-19 in the spring, she began thinking ahead to reopening. Knowing outdoor-transmission rates for the virus are significantly lower than indoor ones, Forys said, she’d simply move all her classes outside. Many of her colleagues, even those whose material didn’t naturally lend itself to teaching outdoors, might want to do the same."

It's so interesting. For the first 20 years of my current job, I agitated and petitioned for the ability to teach outdoors. One president-administrator listened. But no permission was given. The geologists started doing it anyway, and then the marine biologists (obviously) so clearly, there was no real impediment. But the resistance from most administrators has been immense. Why? I just don't get it. Well, they want to control faculty and make sure their lives are miserable, apparently.

I've heard every excuse, too. "There are students with certain disabilities who can't be outside for more than 5 minutes." Okay - well, then, there are also students with disabilities who can't be in sick buildings. Who wins? There are students who struggle so much to be in the classroom (elevators, heavy doors, much else) and they would prefer to be outside.

Outdoor classes used to be a thing, why can't they be again, weather permitting? (And going online because it's raining sounds like fun - if you get to meet outside the rest of the time).

 

[seekingjustice**]

Sure have, its been a wild ride here, its just so upsetting because we got so close to getting rid of corona virus and then the hotel saga happened, without that we would be corona virus free, so this stings it really does

also todays presser is after lunch apparently, and you know what that means bad news

I agree, it's been a lot harder to deal with this second lock down due to the fact that we were doing so well until the quarantine debacle - and then to top that off, we have these people who have flouted the rules and continued to go about their everyday life not giving two hoots about spreading the virus. I feel a lot of frustration this time round.

Omg yes I am thinking the same, late press conference = tougher restrictions! I am bracing for a harder lockdown.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I wss thinking brrr re the fan til I woke up a bit.

It's winter here, but you're in a very hot summer there so that breeze would have been most welcome as well as making you feel safer.

Re winter I was telling a friend that it seemed our cold weather was going away, til I looked at the weather forecast, w're in for days of figures as low as -3 C.
Woke up this morning expecting the almost tropical 14 degrees we're supposed to be getting, and thought why do I feel so cold, was about to add a beanie to my Mrs Michelan Man look. Looked at the weather, it's 0.4 at 10am. That's celsius.

Got the email from Woolworths re masks. A friend had told me that you "had" to wear masks in their stores now. The email says they welcome you to wear masks.
I was down the street on Friday and in two hours I only saw one person with a mask, a younger man. No cases here so far. But there was a case 45km away. They had been at that Crossroads hotel in Sydney.
I can't see many people here wearing masks until they're forced to. I finally opened my box of masks that were delivered and they're kind of thin and i can't see the string bit that goes over your ears lasting.but I guess it only has to last for at the most one day.
I found it quite easy to breathe through, even with my allergies , which made me feel good, but also made me feel that if I can breathe in ok, does that mean my outward breath could infect someone ? Or would it be that the larger particles that could contain a virus can't escape from the mask ?
And how do people carry their masks around. or do they just leave their house wearing them ?
I'm thinking I would only wear them if going into a store etc but then you'd go through a heap of them because you wouldn't want to be putting it on and taking it off all the time.

We went out to a restaurant with a patio, distancing, and blowing fans. Masks when not at table. It was very well done, and I really appreciated going out for the first time in months!

 

[TootsieFootsie]

It's the year of the comeback of the drive in movie. Who would ever have thought it.

Charlotte Motor Speedway hosts weekly drive-in movie series

 

[seekingjustice**]

And you know it would have helped if everyone did exactly what they were supposed to do.

Not driving 100s of kms for a Big Mac, police not having to issue 168 tickets in 24 hours for flouting covid rules, not driving to Geelong for some 'fresh air' .....


"We are still continuing to see appalling behaviour. I know Victorians themselves are fed up with it, I am fed up with it, Victoria Police are fed up with it," Ms Neville said.
"Can I be really clear, just in case there is any doubt at all, that there is absolutely no reason or need to drive from Melbourne to Wodonga to have a Big Mac.
Man fined after driving 300km 'for a Big Mac'

I think that's a big part of the problem SouthAussie - the Government made an assumption that people would do the right thing but unfortunately as we have seen there are humans that do not follow the rules even when it's sabotaging and putting at risk their own livelihood as well as others. The only answer I can see is to shut everything down, and take away these peoples' options of going anywhere. It just sucks because the majority of Victorian's have done the right thing!

 

[SoCalDavidS]

what could possibly go wrong--SMH

I'm pretty sure that not being allowed to hold Wrestling Tournaments is Unconstitutional and a violation of our Civil Rights.

 

[tabitha111]

Just a wild prediction, but I think canned pumpkin is going to be hard to find this fall..buy early! (More folks cooking/baking at home)

 

[RANCH]

If they extend them, I hope my employer shuts down again for awhile. I can easily double my $$ collecting unemployment. Jmo

ETA I work part time.

I would have made a lot more money collecting unemployment than working the past few months.

In a related matter, people turning 60 this year may see a permanent cut in their Social Security benefits because of the economic effects of this pandemic.


Covid-19 Side Effect: Social Security Retirement Benefits For Boomers Born In 1960 Will Take A Big Hit

The 1960 babies will suffer because of two parts of the complicated (and understandably, little understood) formula used to calculate an American worker’s Social Security retirement benefits. Both parts use something known as the average wage index (AWI)—which is essentially total wages paid in the U.S. in a year, divided by the number of folks issued W-2s reporting wages to the Internal Revenue Service. Since a record number of people were employed early this year, before the pandemic hit, there will be a lot of W-2s going out for 2020. But total wages for this year—what with more than 38 million Americans filing unemployment claims over the last nine weeks—will be way lower than predicted before the pandemic.

Covid-19 Side Effect: Social Security Retirement Benefits For Boomers Born In 1960 Will Take A Big Hit