Good news.
“Trump says he backs House coronavirus bill, says members of both parties should ‘VOTE YES’
Alex Pappas By Alex Pappas, Chad Pergram |“
The NYC school district has ~100,000 kids who are homeless. So there is a huge social issue as to how to address the needs of the kids.
NYC also has a very dense population – people do not live in single family houses, they live in high rise apartment buildings. They do not get from place to place inside of their own personal cars - they take subways, buses, and rely on taxis & car services. Or they walk on sidewalks that are generally fairly crowded.
So closing the schools doesn’t really solve the problem because it doesn’t result in social distancing – it just kind of shuffles people around.
Additionally, many of the kids in the schools who are not homeless are the offspring of first responders and other people with essential service jobs — those people need child care.
It might make sense to close individual schools … but my point is that it just isn’t as easy as it might be in other parts of the country. Other school districts have homeless kids and kids who are the offspring of essential workers, too – but they just don’t have the density & concentration that NYC faces.
The local schools in my area of NY (Cap District) many districts are closing. My district is now closed from the 16th-20th for planning.
Both Albany City and Schenectady City schools district are closing. I’m sure there are more but haven’t checked in awhile.
I imagine if there are only a limited number of tests available then perhaps “anyone who needs a test” may be more strictly defined.
I think with limited resources available it is better to have an overall authority determine where the greatest need/benefit exists.
Obviously there aren’t enough of some resources currently available.
If things get bad enough, any warm body with a little medical knowledge might get pressed into service. It has happened in Italy. These people won’t be on the Covid-19 frontline necessarily but they could be useful dealing with more basic medical needs in the community freeing up experienced doctors and nurses for the super serious stuff. There is a reason in China, South Korea, and Italy the word “war” is being used in fighting Covid-19.
Brazilian president’s lawyer says she tested positive for coronavirus
From CNN’s Taylor Barnes in Atlanta
Attorney Karina Kufa, who reportedly traveled with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on his recent trip to the United States, tweeted Friday night that she tested positive for novel coronavirus.
“My coronavirus exam came back positive. I returned yesterday from Miami and I isolated myself immediately when I learned about the state of @Fabiowoficial’s health,” she wrote, referring to Bolsonaro’s press secretary, Fabio Wajngarten, who tested positive for the virus on Thursday. “I am following the protocols and feeling well. Now I only need a few days of rest to get back in the fight again!”
The Brazilian newspaper Estado de Sao Paulo, among other Brazilian media, reported that Kufa, who is Bolsonaro’s attorney and the treasurer of a political group launched by Bolsonaro, traveled with the Brazilian president on his recent trip to meet President Trump.
IOC president says governing body will listen to WHO’s recommendation about future of Tokyo Olympics
From CNN’s Homero De La Fuente
If the World Health Organization says the Olympic Games should be canceled, they will be, the Olympics’ governing body president said.
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said in an interview with CNN affiliate ARD on Thursday that the IOC will listen to the advice of the WHO, and if the WHO tells the IOC to cancel the 2020 Tokyo Games, the IOC will follow that recommendation.
“We listen to the advice of the WHO that is the expert group who is responsible for exactly these questions,” he told ARD. “That is why we have been linked to the WHO in a task force since mid-February and have constant contact. … We will follow the advice of the WHO.”
I also think they could temporarily waive malpractice claims under a Good Samaritan standard if students are to help. I know there has been talk about nursing students.
They are waiving certain regs now with the new flexibility around treatment areas and other hospital admin things.
Heck even to check in on patients and see if they need water or a nurse.
But this is so outside my lane it might be total hogwash. Just thinking out loud .
Nursing students at uMich are staying in clinicals and that helps because even though they are not working independently having them there can speed up what the nurse is doing by handing her things, giving the patient a glass of water while the nurse readies an injection etc…
Courthouses are closing.
Wow. That is a lot to think about.
I know it was the doctor. I watched the entire press conference from beginning to end. I’m not sure what you are talking about as far as her “lying as well” or what the president is claiming. I never said anything about anybody “lying” or “claiming” anything. I do think there was a presentation made, apparently endorsed by the president (because he invited the doctor to make the presentation), about a program that is apparently not ready to launch in the way the doctor seemed to suggest it was, and it wasn’t “Google” but “Verily” that are developing the program. I think all of this is just more unnecessary delaying if we need to wait for this program to be developed and implemented before we get drive through testing, which is what the doctor suggested in her presentation. That is my point.
Miami mayor says he’s starting to feel the symptoms of coronavirus
CNN
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez learned Friday that he tested positive for coronavirus and he said he’s already starting to feel the symptoms.
“You know it feels similar to the on set of a cold,” he told CNN’s Erin Burnett on Friday.
Suarez said he plans to share his experience in the hopes that “it calms people down because it’s something I’m going through myself.”
The mayor went on to say that he’s not sure where he caught the virus, but noted that he was recently in close proximity of someone who tested positive for the virus.
In a statement that he released earlier, Suarez said, “If we did not shake hands or you did not come into contact with me if I coughed or sneezed, there is no action you need to take whatsoever. If we did, however, touch or shake hands, or if I sneezed or coughed near you since Monday, it is recommended that you self-isolate for 14 days, but you do not need to get tested.”
ICE suspends social visitation at detention facilities because of coronavirus
From CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is suspending social visitation at detention facilities “as a precautionary measure,” the agency announced Friday in a statement.
There have not been any confirmed cases among detainees in custody, ICE said, adding that the agency is incorporating US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance and instituting screening guidance for new arrivals.
Not only are there not enough test kits, there aren’t enough ICU beds or ventilators if this infection reaches critical levels. Hospitals are already holding private internal discussion on how to triage patients and allocate limited resources. This means that if the rate of infection doesn’t flatten out, there will people–mostly likely the elderly and those with existing co-morbidities–who will receive nothing more than comfort care.
(How do I know? One of my Ds spent 3 hours today in just such a video conference discussion with hospital and department administrators, ID experts and CDC experts.)
@amsunshine referring to the article. Not you. The headline was “despite Trump claims…”
But it wasn’t directed at you at all.
How to one up your neighbors on TP hoarding 
The outbreak of the new coronavirus has been boon for a number of companies, including those that sell disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizers and toilet paper. But the pandemic also has sales soaring on another bathroom item: the bidet.
Home product company Brondell, which sells various types of bidet toilet seats, heated and unheated, has seen an increase in sales over the last few days, a company spokesperson told Business Insider.
The spokesperson said Brondell is selling a bidet on Amazon every two minutes, or about one thousand units per day. The company reportedly earned $100,000 in one day this week through Amazon sales, an “exponential”jump from its average daily sales. (Guardian)
Thanks, though I didn’t write it for accolades TBH. I wrote it so others could use it in their thoughts. A couple minutes of reading doesn’t quite = the full discussion, but it can give ideas.
I wish I could have had access to all of our students at the school in smaller groups - or maybe even in a large group. So many don’t really understand what’s going on or why with the closures. So many have questions about the virus itself having heard sound bites here or there - sometimes from “Facebook Medical.” Teaching kids the facts as we know them - and admitting what we don’t know - is quite comforting to them. It also helps them to know what to do or not do with the time off, etc. It can help teach some parents/relatives. Without good, factual, solid teaching I fear we’re not doing as well as we could be with trying to stop the virus.
There are very few kids at school that I clash with - offhand I can’t think of any, but there’s always one or two out there somewhere I suspect. Having that respect with them already helps a lot. I just wish I could reach more. Kids don’t always check with the CDC or similar. Of course, adults don’t either…
Should we keep the kids in school instead? Not here. IMO not anywhere. There are too many at risk teachers and staff. Too many parents insist their kids come to school sick - even really sick. It’s a petri dish. It’s very much a way for the virus to spread and spread quickly. They catch it at school and then take it home to mom/dad/grandma, etc. During time off most will hang out with their friends, but school has them hanging out with far more than just their friends. If they stick to the same groups over the two weeks (as most will), the virus is far less likely to spread - esp with all sorts of other things (like sports and travel) shut down.
We have close to half on free/reduced lunch. That was our big concern. The school is taking the food we would have used and giving it to the local food bank who is supposed to be doing what they can to help. It may not be a perfect solution, but nothing is right now. We’re all making best guesses.
I think it’s related but my local cvs was limiting people to one big package of paper towels.
It’s just a guess. And of course I turned around and grabbed one. There were plenty. I know it’s bad for a septic system but hopefully won’t be needed and if so for a short period of time
San Francisco mayor London Breed on Friday put a 30-day pause on evicting tenants who cant pay rent due to impacts from the coronavirus.
The San Fransisco Examiner reports that Breed is using her legal authority under a local emergency declaration to prevent evictions and is putting the prohibition in place for an initial 30-day period, with the possibility that it could be extended for an additional 30 days. (Guardian)
Smart.
Trump says Google is building a site to help people find coronavirus tests
The president said the site, which is supposed to direct people to drive-through test sites, should be ready soon; Google seemed less clear about that.
By Peter Kafka Mar 13, 2020, 5:24pm EDT
Plans for the site are being overseen by Verily, an Alphabet subsidiary that focuses on health care and life science.
The White House said the site is meant to steer Americans who need testing to drive-through clinics that are supposed to start popping up around the US in the parking lots of retailers like Target and Walmart, which are also working on the effort.
But messaging from Alphabet reps, after President Donald Trump and others described the effort at a White House press conference, stressed that the project the company is working on is in its early stages and will initially be offered to residents in and around San Francisco and Silicon Valley.
At the press conference, Trump said Google had “1,700 engineers working on this right now.”
Trump didn’t say when the site would be up, but Vice President Mike Pence said that, by Sunday evening, the White House “will be able to give specific guidance on when the website will be available.”
Recode hasn’t yet been able to verify that with Alphabet or Verily reps, or anything else about how the site is supposed to work — including any efforts Verily and the associated companies will use to protect the privacy of the site’s users.
It’s possible that the White House announcement took Verily and Google by surprise. About an hour after Trump talked about the website, Google sent out a statement, attributed to Verily, that said the company was in “early stages” on “a tool to help triage individuals for Covid-19 testing” and that it would start using it in the Bay Area before rolling it out widely.