Coronavirus 3

[clueliss]

199 cases found a Tyson facility in NW Arkansas 

 

[Ozlsn]

Interesting interview with a US epidemiologist talking about the pandemic, particularly the possibility of a second wave.

"3 months ago, COVID-19 was not even in the top 75 causes of death in this country. Much of the last month, it was the #1 cause of death in this country. This is more remarkable than the 1918 Flu pandemic."

"We can expect between 800,000 and 1.6 million Americans to die in the next 18 months if we don’t have a successful vaccine."

"The darkest days are still ahead of us. We need moral leadership, the command leadership that doesn’t minimize what’s before us but allows everyone to see that we’re going to get through it."

[JMarie]

On 6/11/2020 at 11:51 PM, GreyhoundFan said:

So the mango manboy's combination hate and ego-stroking rallies are getting ready to begin again. Interesting addendum to the registration: "Trump’s Tulsa campaign rally sign-up page includes coronavirus liability disclaimer"

  Hide contents

The sign-up page for tickets to President Trump’s campaign rally in Tulsa next week includes something that hasn’t appeared ahead of previous rallies: a disclaimer noting that attendees “voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19” and agree not to hold the campaign or venue liable should they get sick.

Trump’s reelection campaign announced Thursday that the president’s next “Make America Great Again” rally will be held June 19 at the BOK Center.

The rally comes as the United States has surpassed 2 million confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, with more than 112,000 people dead. More than a dozen states are now tallying record-high new infections; Oklahoma is not among them, although Tulsa County has reported a gradual uptick of new cases since the beginning of June, according to health department data compiled by The Washington Post.

At the bottom of the registration page for tickets to the upcoming Trump campaign rally is a disclaimer notifying attendees that “by clicking register below, you are acknowledging that an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present.”

“By attending the Rally, you and any guests voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 and agree not to hold Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.; BOK Center; ASM Global; or any of their affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents, contractors, or volunteers liable for any illness or injury,” the notice states.

The BOK Center has a capacity of more than 19,000, although it was not immediately clear what measures the Trump campaign planned to take to ensure that attendees follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations for social distancing.

Trump has long credited his raucous campaign rallies with helping to power his rise to the White House, and in an interview with ABC News last month, he suggested that a socially-distanced crowd would be less than satisfactory.

“I can’t have a rally with, you know, seven seats in between everybody. And I hope we can do that soon,” he said. “The rallies are the least of it, but you know, people are asking me all the time. Just last night, I got three calls — ‘When are we going to do a rally?’ ”

Oklahoma’s health department reported 146 new confirmed covid-19 cases Thursday and two additional deaths in the state, bringing the statewide totals to 7,626 cases and 357 deaths, according to Oklahoma City-based KOCO-TV.

 

Ronna McDaniel isn't sure about the disclaimer (go to 3:30)

Then there's this. Absolutely heartbreaking.

https://time.com/5852242/coronavirus-survivor-double-lung-transplant/

Quote

Surgeons in Chicago have given a new set of lungs to a young woman with severe lung damage from the coronavirus.

Northwestern Medicine on Thursday announced the procedure, which took place last Friday. Only a few other COVID-19 survivors, in China and Europe, have received lung transplants. The Chicago patient is in her 20s and was on a ventilator and heart-lung machine for almost two months before her operation at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

The 10-hour procedure was challenging because the virus had left her lungs full of holes and almost fused to the chest wall, said Dr. Ankit Bharat, who performed the operation.

 

[JenniferJuniper]

On 6/12/2020 at 11:56 PM, Ozlsn said:

Ok, I don't really understand how the US health care system works, but if you signed that waiver, went to the rally and became ill with coronavirus would that affect your health insurance? I realise you agree not to sue the venue or campaign, but would health insurance companies use that as a "you knew and assumed the risk" clause?  Just curious.

No effect on your health insurance.

And you could still sue regardless of the fine print, but you might be hard pressed to find a jury to award you damages considering the risk you willingly assumed. 

[GreyhoundFan]

A sad milestone:

 

 

[Alisamer]

On 6/14/2020 at 1:23 AM, JenniferJuniper said:

No effect on your health insurance.

They'll try to find any other way they can possibly avoid paying, but not "you assumed the risk".  (Assuming you have health insurance - many Americans, including me at the moment, don't have any because it's insanely expensive. Like more than my mortgage payment expensive.)

 

One of my co-workers woke up last Friday with fever and chills. He went to get tested but results won't be back for another day or two. I'm still holing up at home as much as possible except to go to work and back or pick up groceries. As much as the RNC not coming to Charlotte has the potential to hurt the business I work for, I'm still glad that the health of the public took precedence.

An anti-democrat co-worker snarked that "if it was the DNC, they'd still be having it!" but then agreed when I pointed out "if it was the DNC, they'd be requiring masks, enforcing distancing, and limiting numbers of people." It's not so much the convention that is the issue - it's Trump trying his best to make it look like there is no pandemic. As my Republican boss said "it's all about the optics." 

I hope that is clear to most people - Trump and the current administration cares more about how things look than about how things ARE, and appearances matter more to them than actual lives do.

[HerNameIsBuffy]

On 6/14/2020 at 12:23 AM, JenniferJuniper said:

No effect on your health insurance.

And you could still sue regardless of the fine print, but you might be hard pressed to find a jury to award you damages considering the risk you willingly assumed. 

Is it 18 and up only crowd?  As a lawyer in the family explained when it was all the rage to have people sign waivers to let your kids on their trampolines, you cannot waive the rights of your minor children.  

These people are so stupid, and what's unfair is if they get it, pass it along, and someone innocent gets ill or dies it's impossible to trace back to the rally.  Otherwise I'd hope the town and venue is sued into oblivion.

[JenniferJuniper]

1 hour ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

Is it 18 and up only crowd?  As a lawyer in the family explained when it was all the rage to have people sign waivers to let your kids on their trampolines, you cannot waive the rights of your minor children.  

It's very jurisdictional.  In some states, an athletic or "gym" waiver signed by a parent on behalf of a minor is enforceable.  In the same place, another type of waiver signed by a parent may not fly. Which makes sense when you consider the nature of sports and the high incidence of injuries.

Kids have been at his rallies in the past and I doubt he and his wrecking crew would change things up for a totally fake virus, Democrat hoax that's almost totally eradicated.   

[Ozlsn]

Dexamethasone looks to be effective for treating covid-19 patients on ventilators.

Not peer reviewed yet, but also not surprising given it can be given to reduce inflammation in lung tissues in ventilated premature babies (although they prefer not to as it's a globally acting steroid that affects a number of pathways.) Glad that it appears to be effective though, and now I'm curious about what dosages etc they're using.

[SassyPants]

Dexamethasone is a harsh drug with many nasty side affects and generally used sparingly even in the Nicu setting. It really plays havoc with blood glucose.

As I have mentioned before, I live in a coastal village on the Monterey Bay in CA. Our main industry is a UC campus and tourism. Currently or beaches are closed for sand activities except for walking and swimming, which are allowed only from 8-11 AM and 5-8PM. Some people here are going nuts, protesting, breaking the rules and refusing to wear the “Against my constitution rights mask.” Yesterday I was on a Nextdoor app and OMG, and this is a very politically liberal Area ( largest % of Bernie voters per population of any county in CA) These folks have managed to weave together BLM protests, COVID-19, beach closures, masks, slave trade...according to them, it’s all a political hoax to oust Trump. Someone had better tell the rest of the infected world! Idiots!

[clueliss]

Remember the Springfield Missouri salon with stylists that had covid?  No transfer from either stylist to any of their clients because everyone was wearing a mask.

 

[Ozlsn]

9 hours ago, SassyPants said:

Dexamethasone is a harsh drug with many nasty side affects and generally used sparingly even in the Nicu setting. It really plays havoc with blood glucose.

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply it was used routinely in NICU - I forget sometimes that being at the pointy end of the NICU is not normal. It is only used in the sickest babies, and where options are limited, and there is a lot of discussion first. But yes, this is why they're looking at it in the sickest covid-19 patients too, and why I wasn't surprised about it. When the potential benefits outweigh the risks... well, you're not in a great place.

[Audrey2]

Open our churches, the people said. Trump declared the churches open. They had a service on May 24, before churches were supposed to be opened in large groups. Now, as of Tuesday, 240 cases of Covid 19 are traced to this church service, including people they infected. This happened in a small, rural county in Eastern Oregon. I'll give you three guesses as to the predominant political party in this county, and the first two don't count.

https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2020/06/coronavirus-outbreak-linked-to-eastern-oregon-church-surpasses-200-cases.html

Oregon’s biggest coronavirus outbreak yet is linked to Union County church, state officials confirm

Quote

At least 236 coronavirus cases have been linked to an outbreak at Lighthouse United Pentecostal Church in Union County’s Island City, a small town near La Grande, confirmed Deputy State Epidemiologist Tom Jeanne. The outbreak accounts for 47% of the 462 cases reported statewide since Monday.

Quote

A now-deleted video from the church’s Facebook page showed hundreds of worshipers singing, dancing, and jumping around during a service on May 24, before faith communities were allowed to convene in large groups.

Jeanne said the county and state had already received coronavirus test results for 356 members of the Lighthouse United Pentecostal Church, and had tested most members of the congregation.

But, he said, public health officials were just beginning the process of contact tracing to track how far the virus might have spread throughout Island City and La Grande. The city of La Grande holds more than half the county’s population of 27,000 people.

As usual, I just put in a couple of excerpts. The link contains the whole article.

Union County is voluntarily returning to Phase 1 (although, I'm not sure how many people will follow the face coverings- it is a conservative area that loves Trump).

[SassyPants]

52 minutes ago, Ozlsn said:

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply it was used routinely in NICU - I forget sometimes that being at the pointy end of the NICU is not normal. It is only used in the sickest babies, and where options are limited, and there is a lot of discussion first. But yes, this is why they're looking at it in the sickest covid-19 patients too, and why I wasn't surprised about it. When the potential benefits outweigh the risks... well, you're not in a great place.

No worries... I was an Nicu nurse from 1980-2015. In the early years we used to give boat loads of Decadron(brand name for DM) as well as many other therapies that have gone by the wayside. Research and innovation really do bring many changes over a career’s lifetime. I’m sure it’s the same in most industries.

On a side note, when my son was 2 he was stung on his face by a wasp. He immediately experienced extreme, localized swelling, no respiratory issues, but since it was off hours, I headed to the local ER. They put him on DM. My kid was literally crazed during that drug course and taper.

I also was prescribed steroids for a bad case of PO. I literally had auditory hallucinations making it impossible to sleep-

[mamallama]

When I was a L&D nurse  we gave it to mothers who were going to deliver early.  It worked by increasing surfactant in the baby's lungs.

 

[Skyline]

Our area just started to open up and what did people do? Throw a huge bush party on Saturday. Turns out one of the attendants had a covid test right before and, instead of waiting for his results, decided to go to the party. His results came back on Monday and he is positive. Now we have close to a hundred teens and young adults quarantining while waiting for their test results. 

My 67 year old mother, who is battling breast cancer and has permanent lung damage from having tuberculosis as a child, just got harassed for wearing a mask. Because, I guess, she is one of 'those people' who believe in that 'liberal conspiracy'.

My husband's best friend just buried his father, Covid 19. 

I am completely done with people today.

[SassyPants]

56 minutes ago, Skyline said:

Our area just started to open up and what did people do? Throw a huge bush party on Saturday. Turns out one of the attendants had a covid test right before and, instead of waiting for his results, decided to go to the party. His results came back on Monday and he is positive. Now we have close to a hundred teens and young adults quarantining while waiting for their test results. 

My 67 year old mother, who is battling breast cancer and has permanent lung damage from having tuberculosis as a child, just got harassed for wearing a mask. Because, I guess, she is one of 'those people' who believe in that 'liberal conspiracy'.

My husband's best friend just buried his father, Covid 19. 

I am completely done with people today.

My SIL’s mom died yesterday of pneumonia. She was in her 70s and had recently undergone surgery. Of course, d/t COVID, she died alone. Unsure of her COVID status-

[GreyhoundFan]

Why is this not available for at risk people?

 

[meep]

My nephew has been tested for COVID-19 today, hoping he just has a standard fever but since he works a retail job, we wanted to make sure. He is staying away from work until we get the results. 

[Ozlsn]

And meanwhile we have people complaining that because most of our new cases are people being repatriated and quarantined for two weeks on return that we should not let anyone back in the country until "this is over". Seriously, you want to ban people from returning home for up to two years so the numbers look better? This is why we have quarantine, so they can return and be tested before entering the community (the quarantine is in a hotel).  Gah, some people.

[clueliss]

Well it looks like football season is going really really well!  Kansas state university suspense practices because 14 players tested positive.

 

 

[Ozlsn]

Well after an overnight jump to 25 positive cases Victoria has extended the lockdown for a further four weeks, and reduced the number of people allowed to visit from 10 to 5 again. Which screws up one family thing for us, as we were dead on 10 people and now we'll probably do it with in laws at our place and a FaceTime link to my brother-in-law's family. 

The 25 cases break down to 14 linked to known cases, 1 returned traveller in hotel quarantine, 6 identified through routine testing and four still being investigated - presumably they are not currently linked to known cases, which means they were likely tested due to symptoms. The number in ICU has also increased by 1 to three. Yes, still very low numbers - but the fact that the spread took off again so quickly concerns everyone. There are cases in three local government areas which caused the closure of two primary schools that are apparently linked to one extended family who got together before the restrictions were lifted. There have also apparently been a few cases where people have tested positive, gotten the result, and gone to work anyway - our state government is investigating whether this is due to lack of paid sick leave, and whether they can provide payment for the two weeks of quarantine. 

Oh and our re-started sports season looks like it'll be back on hold again as one player tested positive and caused a game to be postponed - and now they're having to test known contacts. Yeah this is going to take a while.

 

[Smash!]

As of tomorrow, Switzerland allows get togethers with up to 1000 people, and eases other restrictions. like the recommendation for homeoffice. Which worries epidemiologists (and me) as the cases continue to climb. Epidemiologists fear a second wave since our contact tracing app isn‘t ready to use yet. It’s just so sad, in March we were one of the most affected countries and could slow down the disease with a lockdown. And now it feels it was all for nothing. Oh and you know what‘s most ridiculous? The Federal Council decided to shorten the distance rule between two people from 2m to 1.5m. No wonder nobody follows the distance rules anymore. [emoji35]

[smittykins]

16 hours ago, clueliss said:

Well it looks like football season is going really really well!  Kansas state university suspense practices because 14 players tested positive.

 

 

On the MLB side, all 30 spring training sites have been closed down due to COVID-19 surges

[Cartmann99]

Texas joined the six figure club last week, and Florida will be the next state to join:

Spoiler

 Cases in my county are spiking, so our mayor will soon let us know if he is going to issue a face mask order. It would mean the end of his political career, so I will be very surprised if he follows through with it.