@suzyQ7 I wonder if NYS would ever just go ahead and start testing there anyway. It’s probably a funding issue instead of a legal one (maybe? idk)
Ofc that means we could be “punished” again by federal dollars withheld in the future.
This is about processing the tests, not developing the tests.
NYS run labs (like Wadsworth) are already processing tests, after getting permission from the Feds over a week ago.
Wadsworth is one of the top labs in the country.
No idea why permission not given yet for private labs. My H works for Cuomo but he hasn’t mentioned this to me in our convos today, plus he missed the call in this morning because of time change, we were out of town, and he didn’t set his alarm!
It would be great if this crisis could get all folks to self isolate or quarantine when they are feverish and or coughing/sneezing. I haa as ve low/no confidence it will, but it sure would be a win!
The big unknown is how much of the transmissions here and in Italy and China (for example) have been by non symptomatic people. That’s the scary part. Its easy to spot symptomatic people. I think the Super Spreader in Italy (patient #1) was not symptomatic when he was spreading it the most. But not a lot of info.
Look up your state’s tests and add here.
Oregon governor declares state of emergency
From CNN
"Oregon Gov. Kate Brown declared a state of emergency in response to seven new cases of novel coronavirus.
These seven cases were identified late Saturday night, Brown said during a press conference today. The state total is now at 14, Brown said.
The declaration will allow the state to tap into their emergency resources including the activation of reserves of emergency volunteer healthcare professionals, Brown said.
The state of emergency remains in effect for 60 days and can be extended as needed until the virus is contained, Brown said."
Grand Princess captain says the cruise ship near California will dock Monday
From CNN
The captain of the Grand Princess said in an announcement today that the cruise ship will dock Monday.
A passenger will be taken to shore for medical care by the Coast Guard which is also dropping off prescription medications for passengers, Captain John Smith said in the announcement.
There is no specific arrival time for Monday, Smith said.
Israel’s prime minister is considering mandatory self-quarantine for all entrants
From CNN
"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is considering quarantine measures for everyone entering the country, including Israeli citizens and foreigners.
Speaking at a press conference at the Prime Minister’s Office Sunday evening, Netanyahu said, “We are not talking about closing our gates. We are just talking about requiring quarantine for all those who come to the country – returning Israelis and foreign nationals.”
“We have come to the conclusion that if we take more steps, it will apply to all countries. There is no point in doing this on a small scale,” he said. “On the other hand, this is a very difficult decision.”
Netanyahu said meetings of officials from the Prime Minister’s office, the Health Ministry and other experts were continuing, and a decision would be made tomorrow.
Israel has imposed self-quarantine measures on numerous countries already, including China, Italy and Japan, but the director-general of the Health Ministry said measures against individual countries are no longer effective."
1st CT resident a man from Wilton. Awaiting confirmation from CDC, but state health says test is positive.
State Department warns against travel by cruise ship
"The U.S. State Department has advised all Americans, especially those with underlying health conditions, to avoid travel by cruise ship. The announcement comes after 21 passengers and crew members aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship, owned by Carnival’s Princess Cruises, tested positive for COVID-19. Passengers will disembark Monday at the port of Oakland, California officials said in a statement, and all passengers will face a 14-day quarantine on a variety of military bases. California officials added that the nearly 1,000 crew members on the ship will be quarantined on the ship, and not allowed to disembark. " (CNBC)
Good idea!
“Public health doctor”
But, your doctor is not a public health doctor. And your doctor can ask the public health doctor that you, let’s say you’re a nurse who was caring for a very ill covid patient and who is now experiencing symptoms, get tested. And the public health doctor can say no, which is what has been happening.
What I have heard out of China is that they believe that people who are more symptomatic are more likely to transmit the virus. I don’t know if that is true but it makes sense to my non-medical degree thinking.
"Italy’s fragmented government makes controlling coronavirus difficult
The last 48 hours in Italy have been chaotic, reports the Telegraph’s Tobias Jones.
The country’s fragmented government has made controlling coronavirus difficult.
Part of the problem is that decision-making in Italy is often a complex interaction between different centres of power. There are, usually, multiple meetings, leaks and alliances before any course of action can be agreed.
The country’s constitution, written as a reaction against Fascist autocracy, deliberately devolved power to mayors and to provincial and regional assemblies.
When the country’s various emergencies have been localised, that devolution has been advantageous. But now that Italy’s emergency is national, the lack of experience in centralised decisiveness is creating uncertainty."
My very first post on this thread was talking about how it would be hard for other country’s to enact and then enforce China’s steps to control the outbreak due to both lack of China’s centralized government and the lack of a populace used to taking orders from an authoritarian leadership.
Well great. I don’t think it’s COVID-19 but Mr R started coughing last night and woke up this morning with a bad cough and fever. (Coughing so bad he’s throwing up - doing better with cough suppressants now)
The only person he’s been around who’s traveled is my mom and that was just a few hours before symptoms started showing - too soon. He does in-home behavioral therapy but none of his families travel.
We’re headed to the urgent care (don’t worry, I’m staying in the car!) more because I need to know if I’ve been exposed to something. If I wasn’t pregnant, we wouldn’t bother but y’know. Hoping they can do a rapid flu test on him. (Yes we both got our shots.)
Oy.
One of my cousins just decided yesterday not to go on their cruise next month. They are in their 70’s and have been debating what they should go for a few weeks. SMH. That they were even contemplating going to me is mindboggling.
Theres a lot of things we all should do and don’t. I’m definitely guilty of making a quick grocery run or picking up the kids or going to CVS to pick up medicine when I’ve had a fever, and I bet a lot of other people are too. This feels different. The transmission rate is higher and the death rate for older folks is higher. It warrants increased vigilance.
@bluebayou what other symptoms? Look at the list. The symptoms are so common and you don’t have to have all of them. I think shortness of breath is the one that stands out as different, but that’s supposed to be only for more serious cases. At least to a lay person, it is very hard to distinguish between Coronavirus and other viruses if you have a mild case.
Obviously I think that NY’s testing criteria are too limited. But it has to be limited right now because we don’t have enough tests otherwise. I understand the argument of limited resources and not squandering them, and saving them for people who are more at risk. My comment is that we need more of these resources (tests) so that it will be easy for people to get tested so we don’t have people with mild cases running around getting other people sick. I don’t think that’s fear-mongering. I think that’s acknowledging the fact that people do go out and about when they are sick, but that if they knew they had corona, they’d be more likely to stay at home.
I really appreciate this thread and all of the information contained. I am not panicking but feel that information is good. I do feel that the lack of consistent messaging and the lack of transparency is going to increase the community risk.
For example, I was at a large high school function during the week - a few hundred people. My mother, 80+, insisted on attending to see her grandchild who is graduating this year. We encouraged her to stay home but she has been following the news and at that point was less than concerned - she was reassured by the official line that this virus was isolated and under control in the US (the information she was choosing to go on the day before the event). There were many grandparents and old people in attendance as this was a family/community event. There were also many siblings in attendance, many home from colleges on spring break - hugging old friends and “working the room” catching up.
One family that we haven’t seen in a while came up and while I was aware of keeping a bit of personal space, they gave my mom a hug without much thought. They were quick to share their disappointing news that their older son had to have his study abroad in Italy cut short. He only had 5 weeks there and had only had time to tour the country for 3 of the weekends. They went on about how this virus talk is all just an over reaction and this is no different than the flu. They were so upset about the missed opportunities their son was having because of this “hysteria” and that they had to cancel their trips to visit him over there. It was clear that they had very little concern about the validity of this threat. Turns out that son arrived home several days before and because of a fever was told they needed to quarantine at home for 2 weeks before returning to the college. When asked how he was handling the quarantine, they laughed and said he was too bored to lay around and has been out with other college kids home on spring break (several who were in the school at the event) but otherwise was just chilling in the house. It seemed clear that they were not given, or were not following, any clear guidelines on self-quarantine. They did not say anything about him being tested and didn’t seem to have any concerns about being in a large crowd or initiating physical contact. Even my mom who had up to that point been not to concerned mentioned in the car later that maybe they should have not been out in they were potential carriers. You think? We have not heard any news of any issues in our town yet, although there are cases a few towns over. My parents are NOW beginning to take this a bit more seriously now that our government officials have recommended that people their age limit themselves. I worry about them.
As for the rest of us, watching that one school event, I realized that this is going to be hard to contain if it gets deeper into communities. We were packed into lobbies, hallways, and seated close together with so many people. I was watching dozens of people hold/pass the door to each other, people passing around pens that were on a community table for leaving notes, passing programs, using shared serving utensils, and then eating. I don’t see people avoiding sports banquets, sporting events, high school shows, or musical performances that they kids have worked so hard for because of fear of transmission. It was a little eye opening.
@romanigypsyeyes , sure hope Mr R doesn’t have the flu. Crossing fingers for you both.
I’ve read that the initial symptoms of covid are typically a fever and a dry cough. I don’t know about the rest of you, but when I get a cold I don’t have a fever, and I’m coughing because my nose has started running like a faucet.
Fever and a dry cough. Not the sniffles.
https://www.vox.com/2020/3/3/21161724/coronavirus-symptoms-covid-19-sars-cough-fever
Interesting article in The Atlantic on how Europe, particularly Italy, is dealing with the spread of the coronavirus:
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/03/italy-coronavirus-covid19-west-europe-future/607660/
It concludes
Ok, I’ll bite.
- Is there any government acting perfectly?
- Is there any government motivated only by public health concerns?
Vietnamese heiress with coronavirus attended fashion shows in Milan and Paris
"A wealthy Vietnamese jet-setter who tested positive for coronavirus after a trip to Europe attended luxury catwalk shows at fashion weeks in Milan and Paris, the South
China Morning post reports…documented her attendance at fashion shows by Saint Laurent in Paris and Gucci in Milan, among other events, on her now deleted Instagram account…based between Vietnam and London, is the daughter of a steel magnate…visited Europe with her sister…who also tested positive for the disease. (Telegraph)
"El Salvador has banned visitors from Germany and France due to coronavirus, after previously barring visitors from Italy, South Korea and Iran, countries with the largest outbreaks outside China.
Salvadorans and diplomats arriving from the two countries may enter but must spend 30 days in quarantine, President Nayib Bukele said on Twitter late on Saturday.
France has the fifth-highest number of coronavirus cases outside China, while Germany ranks sixth.
El Salvador has no reported cases of coronavirus, even as other countries in the region begin grappling with the disease." (Telegraph)
Israeli teenagers drafted in to disinfect public spaces
"Israeli teenagers, long used to serving their country through mandatory military service, are to take on a new role: bus station and railway disinfection workers…
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his plans to mobilise youth against coronavirus, known as Covid-19, on Saturday.
“It must be understood that the pandemic is not afflicting children or teenagers, thank G-d; there has not been one instance that we know of,” Mr Netanyahu in an official statement. Several newspapers were quick to point out that one of Israel’s 25 cases of the virus is a secondary school student.
The statement continued:
“This virus is sensitive to bleach and we must act in an orderly way to disinfect railway stations, bus stations, etc. To this end, over the vacation period, which may be extended, I will mobilize teenagers, both in schools and in youth movements, in a very meticulous way, to help with the disinfection."
Mr Netanyahu’s faith in the vigour of youth may be misplaced. While case outcomes indicate the disease may be less virulent with children, a recent study published in the respected science journal Nature suggests that children are as susceptible to the virus as adults.
Israel is in the midst of a coronavirus outbreak. As of Sunday afternoon, the country was braced for its first coronavirus casualty, with a 38-year-old East Jerusalem man on life support and in a medically induced coma.
Flights between Tel Aviv and France have been cancelled, and travellers returning to Israel from Germany, Spain, France, Switzerland and Austria face a mandatory 14-day quarantine. " (Telegraph)