Coronavirus in the US

Parent Cafe
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KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH / AP
The Atlantic.

“In 1940, in the second month of the Blitz, the announcer of a BBC Radio program called Children’s Hour told listeners that they were about to hear the most important episode in the show’s history: Princess Elizabeth was going to address the children of the empire.

Fourteen years old, her voice clear and piping, Elizabeth told the evacuated children of England that she, too, was away from her family: “My sister, Margaret Rose, and I feel so much for you, as we know from experience what it means to be away from those we love most of all.” She reminded England’s children that they were engaged in something noble: “We are trying, too, to bear our own share of the danger and sadness of war.”

But more important,

“we know—everyone of us—that in the end all will be well.”

In the final, desperate months of the war came an announcement from Buckingham Palace: “The Princess wishes to throw herself heart and soul into the job,” said a spokesman, and for once you could hear someone’s voice in an official communiqué: Elizabeth, now 18 years old, was about to join the Auxiliary Territorial Service, where she was given a new title, Second Subaltern Windsor, and where she learned to drive and repair ambulances and trucks.

Elizabeth’s responsibility during the war years was the same as that of her parents and also of every Englishman, woman, and child:

to be unbroken.

“Your courage, your cheerfulness, your resolution will bring us victory. “

  • this a short term war like scenario we are in the midst of, imho. There will be a lot of news and info and for a while it will be scary for some.

I read this today and thought it was reassuring to me and perhaps some others in these trying next few weeks.

I love the last quote especially.

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The head of the World Health Organizaion, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has implored governments to test more suspected cases, warning that they cannot fight the pandemic blindfolded.

In a strongly-worded attack on governments which have neglected or held back testing, he said: “We have not seen an urgent enough escalation in testing, isolation and contact tracing, which is the backbone of the response.”

Tedros also expressed alarm about the the spread of the disease to developing countries. He said:

So far, we have seen epidemics in countries with advanced health systems, but even they have struggled to cope. As the virus moves to low income countries, we are deeply concerned about the impact it could have among populations with high HIV prevalence, or among malnourished children.

That’s why we’re calling on every country and every individual to do everything they can to stop transmission. Washing your hands will help reduce your risk of infection. But it’s also an act of solidarity because it reduces the risk you will infect others in your community and around the world. Do it for yourself, do it for others.

And he urged people around the world to stop hoarding. Tedros said:

We also asked people to express their solidarity by refraining from hoarding essential items, including medicines. Hoarding can create shortages of medicines and other essential products which can exacerbate suffering.

Tedros also warned against treating Covid-19 patients at home. He said:

We recognise that many countries have already exceeded their capacity to care for mild cases in dedicated health facilities. In that situation, countries should prioritize all their patients and those with underlying conditions.

Some countries have expanded their capacity by using stadiums and gyms to care for mild cases, with severe and critical cases cared for in hospitals. Another option is for patients with mild disease to be isolated and cared for at home. Caring for infected people at home may put others in the same household at risk.

So it’s critical that caregivers follow WHO guidance on how to provide care as safely as possible.

Guardian

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Turkey closes cafes and gyms to stop spread of coronavirus
Turkey announced new measures to contain the spread of coronavirus that go into effect at midnight on Monday.

According to the Turkish Interior Ministry, these public places will be closed for an unspecified period of time:

Theaters, concert halls, wedding halls, music halls, taverns, cafeterias, game halls, beer halls, cafes, coffee parlors, tea parlors, hookah bars, Internet cafes, gaming cafes, all indoor playgrounds, tea gardens, amusement parks, pools, saunas, gyms, spas, sports complexes and massage parlors
The measure also includes a ban on large gatherings by associations as well as “condolence homes” used by families to welcome mourners.

Turkey has already closed schools and universities. The country also suspended spectators at sporting events and prohibited mass prayer in mosques.

Turkey has at least 18 confirmed cases of coronavirus, according to the Johns Hopkins University. (CNN)

Health official: “There’s no doubt that we are missing cases” of novel coronavirus
From CNN’s Jacqueline Howard

World Health Organization officials are calling for countries to do more testing for novel coronavirus so that cases can be tracked and isolated — and they warned that there are likely cases going missed.

“There’s no doubt that we are missing cases," Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO infectious disease epidemiologist, said during a press briefing.
“The reason why we are so aggressive in our statement of finding all cases and testing cases is because we need to know where this virus is,” Van Kerkhove added. “It’s important that we don’t give up. … We need to be finding all of these cases so that we can effectively isolate them and reduce the risk of onward transmission.”

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UK’s Boris Johnson advises people avoid all unnecessary social contact
From CNN’s Sarah Dean in London

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged people to stop all non-essential contact with others and stop all unnecessary travel.

The new advice is based on the fact the UK is “now approaching the fast growth part of the upward curve” in coronavirus cases and “without drastic action cases could double every five to six days."

“To slow the spread in London it is important Londoners pay special attention to what we are saying,” Johnson said.
“We need people to start working from home wherever they possibly can,” he explained.

Johnson also urged people to avoid pubs, clubs and theaters.

Boris Johnson says the government will no longer support mass gatherings in the UK.

Mass gatherings are something “we are now moving emphatically away from”, he said.

He also urged people to stay at home for 14 days if any member of the household is ill. (Guardian)

Spains shuts down its land borders
From CNN’s Mia Alberti

Spain will close its land borders because of the coronavirus pandemic, the country’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska announced Monday.

Marlaska said the decision was made in coordination with Spain’s neighbors— Portugal and France — and its objective is to “slow down the curve of infected people."

The measures will come into effect at 7 p.m. ET (which is midnight local time) on Monday, and will last until the end of the 15-day state of emergency. It does not include nationals or residents returning home, cross-border workers, diplomats doing their work and other exceptional situations.

The restrictions won’t affect transporting goods to keep the economy activity, the Interior Minister added.

Kroger gives $3 million to food banks and food insecurity initiatives during coronavirus pandemic
From CNN’s Artemis Moshtaghian

American supermarket chain Kroger announced that it is committing $3 million to deploy hunger-relieving resources to communities disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a statement released by the retailer on Monday.

Kroger’s group vice president of corporate affairs Keith Dailey said that the retailer is “mindful that the coronavirus pandemic may result in more of our neighbors struggling with food insecurity during this challenging time.”

The $3 million commitment is slated to be equally distributed between nonprofit partners Feeding America and No Kid Hungry.

Funding will support local food banks nationwide and go toward initiatives that ensure children, whose schools may be closed, still have access to nutritious meals, the statement reads. <3

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Go Spurs Go!

The San Antonio mayor limited gatherings to under fifty.

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Veterans Affairs reports its first coronavirus death
From CNN’s Zachary Cohen

The Department of Veterans Affairs has confirmed its first coronavirus-related death. It also reported an increase in the number of confirmed/presumed positive cases from 16 to 30.

The patient died two days ago at a facility in Portland, Oregon, according to a department spokesperson.

“A Veteran patient in their 70s died March 14 at VA Portland Health Care System due to complications from Coronavirus (COVID-19). This case was previously reported as a presumptive positive in an earlier case count," VA spokesperson Christina Mandreucci told CNN.

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@romanigypsyeyes
My daughter is a senior at MSU. She wants to stay in Lansing because her rent is paid (full scholarship) and lease runs through July and also because her room-mate (a good friend) will stay in Lansing because her parents live on the west coast and it is too far to go home (and back again).

However, we live in Indianapolis. I am worried about this problem with shortage of medical care in the Lansing area in the event she would get a severe case of Coronavirus. I saw an article with the projected hospital bed shortage in Indianapolis. Do you know how readily available medical care is in Lansing?

When my d had a knee injury and I was looking for MRI diagnostic facility that has better rates, I did not really find anything in the Lansing area. Our insurance company gives us projected costs of procedures of different facilities. An MRI in Lansing would have cost 2-3 times more than in Indy. Due to supply/ demand theories, the higher price in Lansing leads me to believe that they are in shorter supply of medical treatment (hospital beds?) compared to Indianapolis.

Any thoughts or info on availability of medical care in Lansing?

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re: grocery stores and delivery, Safeway just announced they are hiring 2000 employees in the Bay Area to meet demand.

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I’m seeing stupid people come out in mass droves, hoarding toilet paper for no reason…except that they’re just stupid. Now the entire country is out of stock until mid-April. Thanks a lot!(sarcasm).

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We actually got some toilet paper a few days ago at Target. Suburban south Florida. Not sure how my wife managed to do that, but she is always reserving things online for pickup.

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Even if they have them in stock, our local Targets are no longer allowing people to reserve items such as toilet paper or hand sanitizer online for pickup.

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From north.jersey .com

New Jerseyans should not leave their homes from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., as Gov. Phil Murphy announced an extraordinary action of recommending a statewide curfew for his 9 million residents to attempt to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Is this for real?

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Yep.

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Beware of malware using JHU’s COVID-19 map:

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2020/03/live-coronavirus-map-used-to-spread-malware/
https://www.ibtimes.com/russians-hack-johns-hopkins-coronavirus-map-steal-user-information-2939424

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@momofsmartdancer,

I’m in the same boat as you. My son is staying in Michigan, instead of coming home to California, because he has an apartment. It’s nerve-wracking, isn’t it?

With this epidemic, there will be shortages of hospital beds everywhere. You probably can’t game out whether Lansing or Indianapolis would have more capacity. Most likely both will be stretched to capacity and beyond.

I comfort myself that our children would be prioritized over older patients, if it came to that.

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Philly just called for the closure of all non-essential businesses by 5PM today.

https://www.inquirer.com/health/coronavirus/live/coronavirus-covid19-philadelphia-pennsylvania-new-jersey-confirmed-case-updates-news-20200316.html

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf to order statewide shutdown over coronavirus

HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Wolf on Monday will order a statewide shutdown as the number of coronavirus cases in Pennsylvania continues to grow, according to three sources familiar with the decision.

Wolf and other state officials will release more details to the public at 2 p.m.

The governor had previously placed four counties — Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery — under a shutdown order. That involved asking nonessential businesses like gyms, hair salons, and concert venues to close for 14 days. Wolf said pharmacies, grocery stores, and gas stations should stay open.

Residents there were urged to curtail any nonessential travel.

On Sunday, Wolf also ordered restaurants in those four counties as well as Allegheny County to close their dine-in facilities for two weeks. He said carry-out and delivery service could continue.

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For now. Eventually you might not be able to go out at all.

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@momofsmartdancer Admittedly, this is based on a very small sample but when I got into a car accident in Lansing, I had no problem getting into Sparrow pretty quickly. I just asked my 2 SILs who live in Lansing and both say they’ve managed to get in pretty quickly.

Lansing/EL has a ton of urgent care centers because no one really likes MSU’s on-site health clinic.

The Sparrow system is just fine IME. If your D isn’t someone who is high risk, I think she’ll be perfectly fine. I’d encourage her not to use the bus system though if at all possible. I don’t really trust CATA to keep up bus cleaning lol.

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About hospital beds…

Google Steve Hsu (MSU professor) and his infoproc blog for more numbers, data and analysis.

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World Health Organization’s new coronavirus respond fund raised nearly $19 million so far
From CNN’s Jacqueline Howard

Since the World Health Organization launched its COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund on Friday, more than 110,000 people have contributed almost $19 million to the fund, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press briefing on Monday.

“We’re grateful to everyone who has contributed,” Tedros said
He continued: "These funds will help to buy diagnostic tests, supplies for health workers and support research and development.”

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/donate