COVID-19 (f/k/a "the Coronavirus")

[mu03eng]

For everyone that has an opinion about the field hospital that was setup in NYC, they may want to get the name right.

https://javitscenter.com/about/

And the man behind the name.

https://www.nytimes.com/1986/03/08/obituaries/jacob-javits-dies-in-florida-at-81-4-term-senator-from-new-york.html

eh, I'm typing fast and as long as someone doesn't misspell Dwyane Wade's name, I'm not gonna be correcting anyone's grammar/spelling.

[GooooMarquette]

eh, I'm typing fast and as long as someone doesn't misspell Dwyane Wade's name, I'm not gonna be correcting anyone's grammar/spelling.

That one...and Markus (not Marcus).

[mu03eng]

This is entirely possible.  We should also be cautious in assuming we’re anywhere near the end.  This thing can still mutate and resurface.  That doesn’t mean keeping a lockdown but aggressive reaction to outbreaks and tracing contacts.

totally agree, I want it known I am not a "fling the doors open, let's go guy." In fact I got into some verbal fights with some friends who invited me out to a bar this weekend and I told them that not only was I not going they were not being smart in going. It is inevitable that as we open up, no matter how controlled, we will see an increase in infections, hospitalizations and potentially deaths. I think a true second wave is likely in the fall, but if we aren't careful we'll see that wave hit sooner. I suspect that over the summer we will see a plateau of infections and deaths, then depending on where we stand on everything a second wave, but no idea if it will be worse, better, same as the first wave.

[mu03eng]

This inaccurately reports on why there weren't patients at the Jaffit and Comfort hospitals. At first, the federal government forbid any Covid patients, saying they were not equipped to handle them.

They then allowed recovering patients, but with a bizarre and lengthy 25-point checklist to get them admitted. Essentially no-one fit the feds 25-point admission checklist. So very few patients could be sent there.

Got a link, hadn't seen anything on that. I've seen extensive reporting on New York, Pennsylvania, and Michigan choosing to put infected patients back into nursing facilities but I haven't seen any reporting on justifications for the move other than a need to free up hospital beds for incoming patients.

[mu03eng]

Something I would probably throw in the Wisconsin thread but some y'all decided to get it quarantined for the second time in two weeks....

Anyone know why MKE (city and county) decided not to centralize their Covid patients into the State Fair facility once it was completed and get them out of the standard hospitals? It just strikes me there would have been some economies of scale and management advantages to centralizing and enabling the hospitals to "return to normal" sooner.

[GooooMarquette]

Something I would probably throw in the Wisconsin thread but some y'all decided to get it quarantined for the second time in two weeks....

Anyone know why MKE (city and county) decided not to centralize their Covid patients into the State Fair facility once it was completed and get them out of the standard hospitals? It just strikes me there would have been some economies of scale and management advantages to centralizing and enabling the hospitals to "return to normal" sooner.

I don’t know anything specific about the State Fair facility, but as someone who has worked in a hospital, it may come from the concern of providers about going into a drastically unfamiliar environment.

Even in a familiar facility, one big change can cause a lot of delay and confusion. As a case in point, we recently switched from one electronic medical record system to another. Even though everything else in the facility was exactly the same, this created all sorts of delays, confusion and anxiety among the entire staff. Now change that plus the entire layout, feel and staff of the facility and you can see how care would likely be less than optimal.

IMHO, temporary facilities like State Fair facility or the Javits Center are probably best used as avenues of last resort when there is quite literally no more room at the inn.

[forgetful]

Got a link, hadn't seen anything on that. I've seen extensive reporting on New York, Pennsylvania, and Michigan choosing to put infected patients back into nursing facilities but I haven't seen any reporting on justifications for the move other than a need to free up hospital beds for incoming patients.

https://nypost.com/2020/04/09/usns-comfort-and-javits-center-mostly-empty-amid-coronavirus/

Feds say it is NY states complicated restrictions, NY state says the list was from the feds.

So here is my analysis on who is right. Usually, both are telling the truth, but getting to the origins of what they each mean is difficult. I always ask, who benefits.

NY state did not benefit at all from having more difficult restrictions, so my guess, is that when NY got the feds to accept patients, the Feds told them to draft guidelines that fit very specific restrictions.

So the final document came from the state, but the provisions were dictated by the Feds. The thing that is clear though is that it was an organizational disaster. First, the federal rule that there were to be no Covid patients, then the fact that the Federal facilities were not equipped (pharmacies etc.) to actually handle Covid patients.

Also, there were federal guidelines saying that nursing home patients "SHOULD" be returned to nursing homes if they did not require hospital care. Essentially all states were following those guidelines until May 7-10th. Like most things in this, the feds say they give guidelines, but it is the State's responsibility to individually decide what is right, and that they make the laws. So if it was a bad plan, that's the governors' fault.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

totally agree, I want it known I am not a "fling the doors open, let's go guy." In fact I got into some verbal fights with some friends who invited me out to a bar this weekend and I told them that not only was I not going they were not being smart in going. It is inevitable that as we open up, no matter how controlled, we will see an increase in infections, hospitalizations and potentially deaths. I think a true second wave is likely in the fall, but if we aren't careful we'll see that wave hit sooner. I suspect that over the summer we will see a plateau of infections and deaths, then depending on where we stand on everything a second wave, but no idea if it will be worse, better, same as the first wave.

I wonder if we have a little scare this summer somewhere that helps us this fall (from a population mindset perspective).  I tend to think the biggest advantage we have for the fall is that we are just so much better prepared.  Awareness, PPE, testing capability, better idea of how to treat (even if no drug breakthrough).  Hopefully we will do a better job protecting the senior facilities as well.

Also, the Javits wasn't meant to be targeting you exclusively, its been something perpetuated throughout this thread many times....I figured someone would be curious about who the man was. 

[GooooMarquette]

I wonder if we have a little scare this summer somewhere that helps us this fall (from a population mindset perspective).  I tend to think the biggest advantage we have for the fall is that we are just so much better prepared.  Awareness, PPE, testing capability, better idea of how to treat (even if no drug breakthrough).  Hopefully we will do a better job protecting the senior facilities as well.

Agree that there have been the very real advances you mention...and hope it plays out to our benefit. The big question mark is whether we also have a significant flu season to complicate and confuse things.

And - this is true on both sides of the aisle - I worry that the general public gets distracted from practicing the safeguards by the election. A few big election rallies or protests, or events around whatever conventions may be held could overcome any common sense learned behaviors. It would help if every state - red and blue - adopted easy and universal mail-in voting.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I thought about putting in the Running thread on The Superbar, but it seems more relevant here.
AP Story.  The percentage increases are pretty incredible for the multiple outdoor activities.


LEISURE SPORTS
Americans are finding ways to stay active
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jeff Roberson / Associated Press

PHOTO: A person jogs past a closed nightclub in St. Louis. Running is seeing an increase in participation since the coronavirus outbreak began.


Vicki L. Friedman always wanted to play golf with her adult sons but until this spring couldn’t find time to learn the game and practice.

Shaun Warkentin was looking for a diversion when his young sons tired of jumping on the backyard trampoline and being indoors. He discovered the joy of taking them fishing.

Neighborhood and park trails across the country have been getting higher-than-usual use by runners, walkers and bicyclists as people find ways to get fresh air while maintaining social distancing during the coronavirus outbreak.

Golf courses are welcoming more beginners and people returning to the game, states have seen robust sales of fishing licenses since the coronavirus hit full force in the U.S. in March and fitness tracking technology has shown a surge in the number of steps recorded.

Friedman, who lives in Chesapeake, Virginia, took up golf at age 54 after the community college where she works ordered employees to do their jobs from home. That gave her more than an extra hour a day she otherwise would spend commuting.

“When you see what’s happening around the world, you prioritize and ask yourself what are some of the things you want to do,” she said. “I’ve always been geared toward work. Right now you want to invest in yourself. What else do I want to do that is fun?”

Friedman goes to the driving range a couple of times a week, hits plastic wiffle golf balls in her backyard and, as a Mother’s Day gift from her son, went to a course for the first time and was treated to nine holes. She said on a recent afternoon she was about to play her fourth round in three weeks with the set of used clubs she bought for $30.

“This is a way we can spend time together outside,” she said. “It’s something new. I like sports, and it’s fun. It is more addicting than I would have ever dreamed.“ Through last week, rounds posted to the GHIN handicap-tracking app were up 22% this May compared with May 2019, according to the USGA. Posted rounds were up 8% for the year.

CommonGround in Aurora, a Denver-area facility operated by the Colorado Golf Association, reported almost 4,800 rounds played on its 18-hole course in April, compared with just over 3,100 the same month in 2019. The number of rounds played on its nine-hole course for beginners wasn’t available, but revenue from green fees was more than double what it was in April 2019, and for the first time reservations were required to ease congestion on the first tee.

National Golf Foundation president and CEO Joe Beditz said he’s hearing similar reports from around the country.

“Courses are seeing people they haven’t seen before or seen very much of,” he said. “They’re seeing husbands and wives plays, parents and kids. It’s kind of surprising to them because even with some restrictions in states, they are still finding themselves to be busier than a similar time of past years.”

Minnesota’s fishing permit sales of 354,080 from mid-February to the first week of May were up 45% over a comparable period in 2019 and the highest since 2000. Vermont had issued 21,270 permits through April, up 57%. Missouri for one month waived the requirement that anglers have a permit so residents could have a diversion during the pandemic.

“If there is a bright spot in this horrible COVID-19 tragedy, it’s the unprecedented interest from fathers, mothers, grandparents, aunts and uncles all wanting to take their family out to enjoy nature,” Bass Pro Shops founder and CEO Johnny Morris said in a statement.

Warkentin said he’s taken his sons Noah, 8, and Joe, 5, to fishing holes in and around Omaha, Nebraska, four or five times since school let out in March. Even on a chilly, windy day, they were at Carter Lake wetting their lines.

“We’re trying to get out, get some fresh air and learn some new skills,” Shaun said shortly before helping Joe reel in a tiny sunfish. “We’re kind of new to fishing. I’ve fished most of my life, but these guys haven’t done that much. It’s a cheap way to get outside and do something different.”

On a nearby bank, Lotplar Laywah of Omaha was wearing a facemask while fishing with his children and their cousins. The truck driver had no loads to deliver, so he suggested to the kids that they try fishing.

“The kids, all they do is watch TV and then they start fighting with one another and causing trouble, and mom really has to yell at them,” Laywah said. “So we go fishing.”

The simplest activities, like running and walking, are apparently popular, based on data generated by Garmin fitness tracker apps. Garmin reported steps recorded by U.S. walkers logging their activity was up 36% when comparing the first half of March with the second, when coronavirus-caused lockdowns began. Worldwide, logged activities like walking and running were up 24% in April compared with the same month in 2019.

Jean Knaack, executive director of the Road Runners Club of America, said the numbers reflect a combination of avid runners logging more miles than usual and people who aren’t regular runners giving it a try.

“I think if you look at community chatter, which isn’t super scientific, I would say most definitely there has been an uptick in running and walking during this pandemic, especially with places for exercise having been closed down like swimming pools, private gyms, public recreation spaces, basketball courts,” she said.

“I’ve lived in my neighborhood for 15 years and I’m like, ‘Who are all these people who are all over walking around and running around this neighborhood?’ I think it’s a sign people want to get out of their house, but I think people have a desire to run and exercise, and now they’re just afforded that time right now, even though that’s not the greatest way to get time, what we’ve all been going through.”

[tower912]

Putting COVID patients into nursing homes....  a bit of perspective...

My daughter works as an OT in what is listed as a nursing home in Maryland.     They have cordoned off wings of their facility to accept from hospitals recovering from COVID.    In my daughter's facility, there are nurses, a PT, OT and ST all assigned exclusively to this wing.    There is no co-mingling.     As of now, it is as if there are two entirely separate entities that happen to have the same address. 

As a first responder in Michigan, I can tell you that in my district there is both a nursing home and a Veteran's hospital.     Both have re-arranged their set ups so that there are COVID specific wings.     If a resident tests positive but does not require more advanced care, they are sent to the COVID wings.    If they were hospitalized but are now well enough to return, they are returned to the COVID wings until their recovery is as complete as it can be and they are no longer contagious.   

I cannot speak to how it was originally handled as I am sure there was as many strategies as there were municipalities.  (a consequence of no national plan)     I am sure that decisions were made that in hindsight look like mistakes.    The wise take these learning opportunities and build a better system for next time.   

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

https://twitter.com/BrennanSpiegel/status/1265119535901732865

Study showing that upcoming increases in cases in a particular community could be predicted by testing the municipality's sewage.

[tower912]

That is so full of crap.   That really pisses me off.   

(c'mon, people.   Poop and pee jokes are always funny)

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

https://twitter.com/BrennanSpiegel/status/1265119535901732865

Study showing that upcoming increases in cases in a particular community could be predicted by testing the municipality's sewage.

Hey -- I contributed to that study!

[GooooMarquette]

So where can we send our samples for testing? Sounds like it's Yale, ai'na?

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

https://twitter.com/BrennanSpiegel/status/1265119535901732865

Study showing that upcoming increases in cases in a particular community could be predicted by testing the municipality's sewage.

Always be science-ing.

[Pakuni]

That is so full of crap.   That really pisses me off.   

(c'mon, people.   Poop and pee jokes are always funny)

If they ever find out who leaked these findings that person is in deep sh!t.

[tower912]

I wonder if they sent Andy Dufresne through?

[mu03eng]

I wonder if they sent Andy Dufresne through?

How do you think they got the test results?

[MU82]

Charlotte Observer encouraging the NC governor to call Trump's bluff about the GOP national convention. They say he should tell Trump: "Say no to a guarantee. Maybe it causes Trump to back down for a while. Or, even better, it might prompt the president to move the convention. That could be the best outcome – or at least the safest – for Charlotte."

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/editorials/article242978726.html?

I happen to agree.

And, for the record, I was in favor of the convention being held here. Even though I strongly dislike the corrupt emperor-wannabe who has co-opted the Republican party, I liked the idea of tens of thousands of people dumping money into our economy.

But there is absolutely no way to guarantee on May 27 what the coronavirus will look like here in 3 months. So if Trump must have an answer, right now, one way or another ... "Tweet ya later, President Pandemic."

[GooooMarquette]

About a dozen U.S. states see an uptick in new cases.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/27/world/coronavirus-news.html?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage#link-615baa23

About a dozen U.S. states are seeing an uptick in new virus cases, bucking the national trend of staying steady or seeing decreases. At least half of the states seeing more infections were part of an early wave of reopenings in late April and early May, among them Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee.

----------------

Yes, I know it's possible that increased testing might explain some of this, but maybe it's another obvious factor....

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I think its obvious to most people that there would be an uptick in cases - even those who are "pro open."  The issue is how those cases are managed and the cost / benefit calculation involved.

[GooooMarquette]

I think its obvious to most people that there would be an uptick in cases - even those who are "pro open."  The issue is how those cases are managed and the cost / benefit calculation involved.

Understood. Just posting this as a data point along the way. The key will be whether this is a small and gradual blip, or the premature beginning of a second wave.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Is there a site that posts trends on hospitalizations by state?  That seems to be more relevant now --in conjunction with the initial points of cases/deaths.

[GooooMarquette]

And then there is this:

A used-car dealer was charged with fraud in a $45 million mask-selling scheme.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/27/nyregion/coronavirus-ny-live-updates.html?type=styln-live-updates&label=new%20york&index=2&action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage#link-3cabdc13

A New Jersey used-car dealer was arrested Tuesday and charged with wire fraud in connection to what prosecutors say was an audacious $45 million scheme to defraud and price-gouge New York City as cases of Covid-19 were skyrocketing.

The used-car dealer, Ronald J. Romano, posed as an authorized 3M dealer and offered to sell the city seven million masks at a more than 400 percent markup from their list price, according to a three-count criminal complaint unsealed in United States District Court in Manhattan.

------------

Pathetic loser.