Coronavirus Updates

[Beebo Brink]

I took two naps today and while I was asleep Mrs. Beebo went out on the two major errands we had scheduled to do together. She's decided that I should stay at home as much as possible outside of going to and from work.

Of the two of us, my wife is the most stubborn and after 30 years I've learned (more or less) what battles to fight. And I'm not all that fond of shopping, so for now I'm going along with this. On Sunday I'm getting my hair cut, however, on the grounds of "It's now or never" and I'm too shaggy for it to be never.

 

[Kara Spengler]

I've spent the last hour updating our company intranet with COVID-19 policies. The executive team has suspended all non-essential travel, regardless of location, and any other travel requests must be approved by a managing director in conjunction with HR. There are also an expanding number of policies concerning office protocols, such as banning large meetings and encouraging people to use video/chat technology whenever possible instead of face-to-face meeting. Another whole set of policies is developing around sick-leave, self-quarantine, work-from-home and how to screen outside visitors.

Corporate-America has a better handle on this than Trump-America.

Yeah, we are a few hundred people and several of us were setting up a corporate emergency web site [that can be updated from the web if need be] last week and there was already other ppl working on telecommuting and stuff.

 

[Kara Spengler]

CPAC attendee tested positive for coronavirus

The American Conservative Union announced on Saturday that one of the attendees at last week's Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, has tested positive for coronavirus.

www.cnn.com

First AIPAC now CPAC. If there is a deity she has a sense of humour.

 

[Kara Spengler]

Holy smoke, yes. That's why so few kits were available. The Trump admin refused the ready supply of WHO kits so that a company he owns stock in could get a government contract for providing them instead, and this company didn't have a supply to start with.

Also why the US kits had problems.

 

[Cristiano]

Flight Attendant Union Chief Slams Trump 'Chaos' Over Coronavirus

Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, accused Trump of putting “both my members and the traveling public in harm’s way."

www.huffpost.com

 

[Pamela]

I have been reading posts like this.

 

[bubblesort]

Yes, there is the corona virus, but there is also that constant flow of drum rolling news that makes us more fearful than needed.

Watching the news is the largest cause of face palming, and you know what face palming leads to... CORONA!

There is only one solution to this. I propose that we all stop watching the news more than an hour a day, quarantine all news from Florida, and also quarantine all news about anybody who is or has ever run for public office.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

‘We’re concerned but calm’: five voices from the frontline against Covid-19

In a week when the UK’s defences were ramped up, five workers describe coping with a climate of fear

www.theguardian.com

 

[Beebo Brink]

This is what happens when you get the coronavirus

The Chinese team said a quarter of their patients ended up in the intensive care unit, mostly because of acute respiratory distress syndrome, or “ARDS.” That’s when the lungs fill with fluid and lose the ability to carry oxygen. That can affect other organs, like the kidneys, and cause death. The chance of ending up in the ICU was higher for people who were already weak.

It affects older people more often: While older people tended to have more serious diseases, this hospital saw patients as young as 22 and as old as 92. The median age was 56.

 

[Sid]

Also, I wish people would define what they mean by "panic" in the context of discussion.

What about the hundreds of billions that burned away (more then 200,000,000,000 USD on Wallstreet alone) on the stock markets world wide because of the corona virus?
Or what about people who steal mouth caps out of a hospital?
Hoarding toilet paper?
For me, panic is acting without thinking things really through. When all kind of emotions fuel decision making instead of the information from professionals.
When logic and trustworthy facts go overboard.

Example: Yesterday a patient with (among other medical problems) a corona infection died in the hospital that I visit for my diabetes.
When I think: I will not go there anymore until after the corona virus has died out, that would be to me a kind of panic reaction.
When I think: Hey there are professionals at work, as long as the doctors office doesn't cancel my appointment, I'm fine and go. That is logic at work.

 

[Kara Spengler]

I have been reading posts like this.

Not that the transit options in the area are any better.

 

[Luisa Land]

?
For me, panic is acting without thinking things really through. When all kind of emotions fuel decision making instead of the information from professionals.
When logic and trustworthy facts go overboard.

Example: Yesterday a patient with (among other medical problems) a corona infection died in the hospital that I visit for my diabetes.
When I think: I will not go there anymore until after the corona virus has died out, that would be to me a kind of panic reaction.
When I think: Hey there are professionals at work, as long as the doctors office doesn't cancel my appointment, I'm fine and go. That is logic at work.

but making decisions
on the basis of information from experts
means you first have to define for yourself who do I accept as a professional
An example: yesterday, Sid, there was a soccer matc h not far from you on the German side. Over 50.000 spectators. The local health authorities and the health minister of the country said: yes it's ok, just wash your hands diligently...and that in the area that has the most infections in Germany
So one day later today the national health minister says: no event with more than 1000 participants. At the same time, there are reports from Italy that large parts of the country are being sealed off.
To a certain extent I can take responsibility as an individual. But when, despite warnings from respected virologists here, decisions are made that greatly accelerate the infection process ...even though all experts say: the top priority at the moment must be to slow down the spread of the disease so that the health system does not quickly reach its limits.
In my opinion, this is the main dangerous ground for panic. We see decision-makers deciding in conflicting objectives against the safety of citizens

 

[Sid]

but making decisions
on the basis of information from experts
means you first have to define for yourself who do I accept as a professional

In the end everyone is the first responsible person for his own actions.
It helps IMHO to make my decisions based on the instructions and information of professionals and try not to let news from all kinds of media (especially social media) take over my thinking process.

An outstanding virologist can be an ace in research but very poor at informing the masses at the same time. Interviews with such persons don't help much.
That's why I try to stick to two sources: Basically the RIVM and the GGD ( the two Dutch health organizations who are in charge to try to contain the virus in The Netherlands).

What doctor A says to reporter B in news show C....... can be interesting, but is not leading in my decision making.

I know I have reasonable good analytical capacities. I use them too.
That's why I only go out for essential things:
- shopping for essentials.
- work (voluntary work is not without obligations IMHO)
- to get some fresh air (a little walk on a quiet place)
- Medical reasons (doctors appointments, medication etc)

What I avoid at the moment:
- large gatherings: sport events, concerts, cinema, exhibitions
- train, tram, bus
- fun shopping in city centers.

 

[Caliandris]

What about the hundreds of billions that burned away (more then 200,000,000,000 USD on Wallstreet alone) on the stock markets world wide because of the corona virus?
Or what about people who steal mouth caps out of a hospital?
Hoarding toilet paper?
For me, panic is acting without thinking things really through. When all kind of emotions fuel decision making instead of the information from professionals.
When logic and trustworthy facts go overboard.

Example: Yesterday a patient with (among other medical problems) a corona infection died in the hospital that I visit for my diabetes.
When I think: I will not go there anymore until after the corona virus has died out, that would be to me a kind of panic reaction.
When I think: Hey there are professionals at work, as long as the doctors office doesn't cancel my appointment, I'm fine and go. That is logic at work.

I would look at this differently. If the doctor's office visit was a routine one, I would think... is this necessary, or can I delay it? Could I "see" the doctor remotely via telephone? If I need tests, could those be done at my GPs surgery or could they be delayed? Often with chronic illnesses there are routine tests which are done routinely and nothing bad would happen if they were postponed. Even without a confirmed case, at present with the virus wild in the locality, you can't know if there is someone in the early stages who will also be at the office, and you are at greater risk than others, having an underlying problem.

My ex-husband has diabetes and the only thing they really need to know for him is that it is well controlled by a combination of drugs and diet; he can up his self-testing from only occasionally to every day at a set time, and avoid having to go into the doctor's surgery at all unless it begins not to be properly controlled by that combination. He has occasional eye tests and exams, but none of those are essentially tied to a timeline, and can be delayed if necessary.

There's not panicking... but there's also protecting yourself as far as you are able so that you aren't one of the ones needing hospital care. It's a balance, sure, but if you need not take a risk, why do so?

 

[Tracer]

Welp, there's a case in my county now. Officials say they "do not currently pose a risk to public health" and "the new detections do not indicate wider spread community transmission."

 

[Sid]

Welp, there's a case in my county now. Officials say they "do not currently pose a risk to public health" and "the new detections do not indicate wider spread community transmission."

Yup, that triggers OMG and WTF moments.
At least, that is what happened to me, when the virus exploded in my part of the planet in the last two weeks.
I'm surrounded by a few dozen cases within 10 miles (some as close as 2) from my home (both sides of the borders) and one person dead.

Life sucks at times.
Try to keep your head cool.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Fun how the time change will compromise immune systems in the short term.

 

[Beebo Brink]

When I think: Hey there are professionals at work, as long as the doctors office doesn't cancel my appointment, I'm fine and go. That is logic at work.

This sort of passive faith in the competence of health systems may be valid in Europe, but in the U.S. it could get you killed. Everything I'm reading from people who are interacting with doctors, urgent care, and ERs points to chaos and confusion and a complete lack of accountability.

A few minutes ago I read this account, which shows just how disorganized we are in our response:
A travelers testimony of Facebook will make you think

 

[Pamela]

Health care workers are going to be overwhelme. What about when their kids’ schools close?

 

[Sid]

This sort of passive faith in the competence of health systems may be valid in Europe, but in the U.S. it could get you killed. Everything I'm reading from people who are interacting with doctors, urgent care, and ERs points to chaos and confusion and a complete lack of accountability.

Of course, one should think and act according to the local situation.
Europe and the USA have very different health care systems.
And in Europe each country has a more or less different approach as well.
That is the main reason why I try to stick with the information of the Dutch authorities. Not because they are the Gods and all the others a jokers, but they are the ones that should know the Dutch situation best. They are the ones that know what is going on and what is useful to tell and what not.
At least that should be the case.