Coronavirus in the US

Parent Cafe
9581

Children’s hospital in Chicago cancels mobile testing site due to lack of materials
From CNN’s Jasmine Wright

One of Chicago’s leading children’s hospitals had to scrap plans to host a mobile testing site, which was scheduled Tuesday on the city’s north side after it said both of its vendors weren’t able to fill orders for testing supplies.

It’s another example of how difficult it can be to get tested for Covid-19.

Julie Pesch, spokesperson for Lurie’s Children’s Hospital, told CNN the site was designed to be for pediatric patients not admitted to the hospital who are experiencing symptoms of the virus.

The hospital was hoping to alleviate an onslaught of pressure both its hospital and individual pediatricians across the city are facing. But because of the high demand for testing and a lack of testing supplies like nasal swabs, those plans were cut short on Friday.

“Our normal operational process is to hold 2-4 days of supply on a product like this. Last week (March 16) when we went to purchase an elevated quantity, due to the Covid-19 needs, we were informed by both our primary and secondary vendors that they were not able to fill orders,” Pesch said

The hospital was hoping parents with an appointment would be able to get a child tested every 15 minutes. But now the hospital says sick patients will need to go through their regular pediatricians for testing.

The lack of supplies to launch such an effort “is a big deal,” Pesch said. “The more testing that we can do, that means the less children that we have in the emergency department, in the pediatrician’s office. That means we don’t have to use as much PPE. That is the main message that we’re trying to get across.”

“Other hospitals are in the same situation,” said Danny Chun, spokesperson for the Illinois Health and Hospital Association. The lack of testing supplies remain a problem, he added.

The Advocate Aurora Health hospital system announced Friday that it was suspending a similar program that had already launched because of the national shortage of test kit supplies.

9582

Our state has received its allotted supply of PPEs from the federal strategic stockpile today. The allotment is exactly enough to issue one mask per provider for ONE shift at ONE hospital.

9583

Trump’s not a doctor. He’s only playing one on TV.

President Trump has been promoting chloroquine, an anti-malarial drug, as “a game changer” in combating the coronavirus, perhaps in combination with the antibiotic Azithromycin. “As the expression goes, ‘What do we have to lose?’ ” Trump asked during Saturday’s media briefing. The answer is: a lot. Experience teaches that promoting untested drugs in this way is irresponsible patient care, sloppy science and dangerous public policy.

For patients infected with the coronavirus, particularly those whose condition is worsening, it is a natural human reaction to try something, anything. Unfortunately, this impulse is misguided. Indeed, these “what do we have to lose?” treatments can be very dangerous to individuals and the public health showing that we do have something to lose. Cancer, the oldest malady, offers useful guidance on covid-19, the youngest disease on Earth.

Finally, there is a huge opportunity cost to the “What do I have to lose?” approach. Compassionate use of medications interferes with conducting research. Every person taking chloroquine or some other drug secretly, quietly and outside of a trial is someone’s whose information is being lost and not contributing to our collective knowledge of whether it works. We saw this, too, in cancer medicine. During the 1990s, more than 40,000 women underwent bone marrow transplantation for breast cancer — then, like chloroquine, a highly promising intervention touted as giving hope to desperately ill women. As a result, the vast majority of breast cancer patients, more than 75 percent, received the bone marrow transplantation outside of a research study and delayed completion of necessary trials. Eventually, after many years delay because of the transplants performed outside of research, that treatment was found to inflict serious and even fatal toxicities, without prolonging life.

When it comes to fearsome, fatal conditions, it is human nature to try something because it should help, because it might help, because it must help, or because it couldn’t hurt. But often it does harm people and our quest for a real cure. The best thing we can do in any plague is to make sure what we think works actually does, and if not, to use those resources towards finding a treatment that does work.

Ezekiel J. Emanuel is the chairman of the department of medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania and author of the forthcoming book “Which Country Has the World’s Best Health Care?” Vinay Prasad is associate professor of medicine at the Oregon Health and Science University and author of “Malignant: How Bad Policy and Bad Evidence Harm People with Cancer.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/23/trumps-not-doctor-hes-only-playing-one-tv/

9584

My SIL works on a suicide hotline. They have seen an increase in calls, but what people are worried about is the virus itself. A call she received on her last shift was (paraphrasing) “My wife was arrested for shoplifting. Now she’s in jail and they’ve had a case. How can I get her out? I’m afraid she’ll die.”

9585

That is not his role. He is the President. In the United States, decisions are made by politicians who are representing the people. There is no - nor should there be - any requirement that we turn over our sovereignty to unelected scientists or doctors, even if they are experts.

President Trump and the Congress both weigh the advice given by various experts on the economy and public health (among other areas), and they are collectively charged with making the decisions. That is the way our system works.

9586

Fr. Giuseppe Berardelli, a 72-year-old priest who gave a respirator (that his parishioners had purchased for him), to a younger patient (whom he did not know), has died from #coronavirus.

Source: Father James Martin, Twitter, and an underlying source that I won’t share, because it’s in Italian.

9587

Deleted

9588

Deleted.

9589

Let’s back away from politics before the mods have to step in.

9590

Elon Musk announces shipment of 1000 ventilators.

Appears they were doing essential work at that Tesla plant in Fremont.

9591

Brother of Minnesota’s lieutenant governor has died from COVID-19. He lived in Tennessee and had been diagnosed with cancer several weeks ago. http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-lt-gov-peggy-flanagan-s-brother-dies-of-covid-19/569024192/
Minnesota Gov. Walz is self-quarantining after contact with a person who tested positive.
And as reported above, Sen. Klobuchar’s husband is hospitalized because of COVID-19.
Klobuchar has commented about how awful it is that she cannot visit him in the hospital. That is what will be true for any of us who are hospitalized or who know people who are hospitalized because of the illness (and increasingly, for people hospitalized for any illness, because of general visitation restrictions that many hospitals have imposed).

9592

The medical assistants at the office were very concerned today. As we are merging offices for the next 2 weeks and working from home for the most part, their hours will go down. They are concerned about paying the rent. Some may be able to handle 2 weeks but I think we are in for at least 4-6 weeks of downsizing. Some people are unhappy about rescheduling non urgent procedures, it almost reminds me of a child stomping his feet to get what he wants. This whole being an adult thing is quite hard.
Fauci is old, let the poor man rest for a few days, before he collapses of exhaustion.
I think Trump is doing an OK job ( not stellar but not terrible either ). He could talk less, that’s true. It reminds me of a story : a man buys a hat and tries to make both his wife and his mother-in-law happy with the purchase. In the end, no matter what he says and how he presents the situation, one of the two women is unhappy. You can’t please everybody.
We have little to compare from the recent past, maybe with the H1N1 epidemic in 2009 :

“CDC estimates that between 43 million and 89 million cases of 2009 H1N1 occurred between April 2009 and 10 April 2010. The mid-level in this range is about 61 million people infected with 2009 H1N1.
CDC estimates that between about 195,000 and 403,000 H1N1-related hospitalizations occurred between April 2009 and 10 April 2010. The mid-level in this range is about 274,000 2009 H1N1-related hospitalizations.
CDC estimates that between about 8,870 and 18,300 2009 H1N1-related deaths occurred between April 2009 and 10 April 2010. The mid-level in this range is about 12,470 2009 H1N1-related deaths”

Hopefully will do better this time. There are a few things that we could do once things are stable : convince China to clean up its act and advance to 21 century hygiene standards, especially regarding the wet markets. Be independent as far as manufacturing drugs and essential industry components. Deregulate and cut some of the red tape that led to the testing blunder. Ah, and the closest to my heart : promote telemedicine.

9593

To combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, Gov. Jay Inslee is ordering all Washington residents to stay at home, except for crucial activities like buying groceries, seeking medical care or going to work at essential businesses, and except for outdoor activities like walking, biking and gardening that can be done six feet away from others.

The new order also requires the closure of non-essential businesses and, Inslee said, “is enforceable by law.”

“This is a human tragedy on a scale we cannot yet project,” Inslee said about the pandemic in a live televised address Monday evening. “It’s time to hunker down in order to win this fight.”

The stay-at-home order goes into effect immediately and will last for a minimum of two weeks, the governor said. It bans all gatherings of people for social, spiritual and recreational purposes, whether by public or private groups. That includes weddings and funerals. Any non-essential businesses still operating must close in 48 hours.

“This does not mean you cannot go outdoors, if you feel like going for a walk, gardening or a bike ride,” Inslee said. “Those are essential activities, too … We just all need to practice social distancing of at least six feet.”

[Please don’t tell us that the company that makes ventilators and the company that makes the 45-minute Covid test as well as the companies and universities that work (as we speak!) on cancer treatments and yes, even Covid tests are not essential. ]

9594

Not initially when he attempted to keep his plant running. Don’t revise history. But I’m glad he’s doing the right thing now.

9595

Well, the Lt. Gov of Texas was just on tv saying that he thinks American grandparents would be willing to sacrifice themselves to save the economy, so I guess that’s solved!

9596

Cuban government will lock down island over coronavirus concerns
From CNN’s Patrick Oppmann in Havana

Cuban officials on Monday announced they are limiting travel throughout the island and abroad for their citizens and closed all schools starting Tuesday for nearly a month to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

The Cuban government will “regulate” Cubans ability to leave the communist-run island, said Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, “to protect their health, their family neighbors and work comrades.”

Marrero said Cubans would need to present a “humanitarian reason” for travel abroad and for Cubans traveling between different provinces on the island.

Last week, Cuban officials said tourism is banned on the island starting Tuesday and that all Cuban and foreign residents returning from abroad would have to undergo supervised quarantine for 14 days.

Despite that announcement, Marrero said, more than 32,000 foreign tourists remained on the island. Starting Tuesday, he announced, tourists would be banned from leaving their hotels as the government worked to return them to their home countries.

“No one can go into the street,” Marrero said of the tourists.

School classes would be suspended starting Tuesday until at least April 20, he announced. All Cubans are required to study in state-run schools.

So far, Cuba has announced the island has 40 confirmed cases of coronavirus, and 1,036 people have been hospitalized for observation.

Marrero also announced that Cubans waiting in “colas” or long lines for hard to find items would need to keep at least one meter (approximately 3 feet) in distance from other people.

He said additional police would be dispatched throughout the island to enforce the new measures.

US Olympic & Paralympic Committee says path to postponing 2020 Games is “most promising”
From CNN’s David Close

In a statement released Monday night, United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland and Chair Susanne Lyons said that the organization has heard the concerns from Team USA athletes regarding the upcoming 2020 Games, and that the “path toward postponement is the most promising.”

Hirshland and Lyons continued: “We encourage the IOC to take all needed steps to ensure the Games can be conducted under safe and fair conditions for all competitors.”

[ Despite earlier reports here, it hasn’t officially been called off or postponed yet. Reports indicate that Japan and IOC are in discussions re: options, although all bets point to the postponement. ]

Washington state orders residents to stay at home for next 2 weeks
From CNN’s Andy Rose

Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee issued a new order Monday night that requires residents to stay at home for the next two weeks.

The order takes effect immediately. Exceptions were made for jobs deemed critical and grocery shopping.

“This weapon — distancing ourselves — is the only weapon we have against this virus,” Inslee said in a televised address.

9597

Washington state’s inclusion in the list of US states under stay home order brings the portion of the country being asked to shelter in place to around 40% of the United States, or more than 130 million people. (Guardian)

More from Guardian on WA State.

Calling this the only weapon we have to fight against the virus, WA governor Jay Inslee said during a public address broadcasted online Monday that “the less time you spend out in public, the more lives we can save.”

The order will be in place for a minimum of two weeks and involve a ban on all gatherings and the closure of many businesses, except those deemed essential or those where employees can work remotely. It requires all Washingtonians to minimize social interactions and postpone such events as weddings and funerals.

The announcement came after a weekend full of reports of locals congregating in large groups at parks and standing close to one another in line at coffee shops and restaurants.

On Monday, Washington state health officials confirmed 2,221 cases of coronavirus, including 110 deaths. The majority were reported in King County, which includes Seattle.

Inslee had already banned gatherings of more than 50 people, as well as sit-in service at all food establishments, including restaurants, bars and coffee shops. He also recently announced that all kindergarten through 12th grade public and private schools in Washington will be closed for at least six weeks.

But a growing group of Washington residents had taken to social media to call on local leaders to implement some type of shelter-in-place policy in order to better address the spread of the virus.

The decision follows similar announcements made by officials in at least a dozen other states, including New York and California. Washington has the 2nd highest number of cases in the US, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

9598

Washington governor Jay Inslee’s stay home order means the state joins a growing list of others in the country where residents have been asked not to leave their houses unless necessary. In some cases the orders go into effect starting Tuesday evening.
Source: Guardian

These states are:

California
Connecticut
Delaware
Illinois
Indiana
Louisiana
Massachusetts
Michigan
New Jersey
New York
Ohio
Oregon
West Virginia
Washington

[Did the miss any place? ]

9599

WHAT?!

Sorry, I’m not willing to sacrifice my parents (who are grandparents) or my still-living grandparents.

9600

^^^ Wisconsin https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/gov-tony-evers-to-order-wisconsinites-to-stay-at-home-will-close-non-essential-businesses/ar-BB11Ahg6

ETA referring to reply #9605