I live in a small town of 2,000 that has retirees and summer residents. An 84year-old man died here yesterday. I didn’t expect a death (yet) in my MA town. He was somewhat prominent (architect) so maybe caught it elsewhere.
The footage of Trump implying that resources would be denied states whose governors weren’t appreciate enough (of him) literally made my blood run cold.
Nurse describes New Orleans hospital conditions
From CNN’s Kaye Jones
A nurse at a downtown New Orleans hospital has described to CNN the very difficult conditions at the facility. The nurse, who did not want to be identified out of fear that speaking to the media could lead to employment repercussions, described the situation at the hospital after finishing a shift two days ago.
“We are averaging five to seven intubations and three to four deaths a day. We have had to set up a temporary morgue (white box) outside the ED next to ambulance ramp for those who expire from COVID-19, this temporary morgue is full,” the nurse said.
The nurse told CNN that while the situation at the hospital is dire, the staff are in better shape than some.
“We are being asked to recycle our N95 masks. We only have 16 unused ventilators left in hospital. We’ve been told the surrounding hospitals are at max capacity without ventilators, leaving our hospital and one other major hospitals left to care for these patients," the nurse said. “EMS are having to recruit volunteer EMT workers to help as New Orleans EMS paramedics are either in quarantine for exposure or sick themselves.”
The nurse offered a grim prediction:
If this type of workflow continues into April, we will not be able to sustain as a hospital."
NYS governor update:
Here’s what else you need to know tonight:
Tonight’s “Deep Breath Moment”: New Yorkers have found compassionate ways, including running errands on behalf of vulnerable neighbors, to support our community and keep spirits high. Even in tough times, New Yorkers look out for one another.
Ever Upward,
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
@1NJParent Lol. Of course we do. We’re all on CC on a Saturday night!
Thank you for the nice words. Just spoke to her and she’s having the classic symptoms and mild. Fingers crossed for all of us.
DiSantis had NO issue letting college Spring Break take place while many parts of the country were experiencing rising infections and deaths. Spring break is over, those kids have traveled back to their home states, infecting everyone around them, and now, he has the gall to blame New Yorkers? This is the new talking point, pitting states and regions against each other. Meanwhile, the President is prioritizing who gets what supplies
Is it too late for him to qualify for the ballot? (wishful thinking…)
Tufts University President: Campus Could Become a Hospital
Tufts University has transformed parts of its campus into a military-style hospital to treat the infected, and students are now using their skills to support the healthcare system. Walter speaks with the university’s president, Anthony Monaco, about their efforts.
My D, who is 8 1/2 months pregnant, was really glad to hear this. She’s in Georgia, but she doesn’t think hospitals there will be MORE restrictive than NY. She’s been worried about this for a few weeks now. (Her H is a doctor and he’s reporting shortages of PPG, especially N95 masks.)
NYPD has nearly 700 positive coronavirus cases and about 12% of the workforce is out sick
From CNN’s Laura Ly
At least 696 members of the New York Police Department have tested positive for coronavirus, according to a daily coronavirus report from the NYPD.
There are 608 uniformed members and 88 civilian members who have tested positive.
About 12% of the department’s uniformed workforce – or 4,342 employees – were out sick on Saturday, the report said.
[ big increases the past few days. ]
President Trump says CDC to issue ‘strong Travel Advisory’ for NY, NJ and CT
From CNN’s Gregory Clary
President Donald Trump said in a tweet that after consulting with the governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, he is asking the CDC to issue “a strong Travel Advisory” to be administered by those governors, in consultation with the federal government.
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
· 1h
On the recommendation of the White House CoronaVirus Task Force, and upon consultation with the Governor’s of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, I have asked the @CDCgov to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the…
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
…Federal Government. A quarantine will not be necessary. Full details will be released by CDC tonight. Thank you!
Trump said a “quarantine will not be necessary.” This comes after he said earlier Saturday that he’s considering mandatory short-term (two-week) quarantine on New York, certain parts of New Jersey and Connecticut. Trump’s suggestion of a mandatory quarantine was strongly opposed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who questioned whether it would be legal.
As much as I dont want to see Biden fall ill from Covid-19, and have to drop out of the Presidential race, I, for one, would love to see Trump try to debate Cuomo , lol.
It is far too late for a new person to get on a ballot in any state. If we are spinning wishes, lets wish for a brilliantly effective treatment for this virus!
"It is far too late for a new person to get on a ballot in any state. "
Under Democratic convention rules, if a person does not receive enough ballots on the first vote to be declared the Nominee, the process could be opened up in the second round to consider anyone.
Just saying…
@3SailAway… I got this email to my office. The test on their website is over $1,000/each… Sounds to high for me.
Thanks for asking! I’m doing ok because I have a 90 day supply. I run out end of April.
My friends in online support groups are not faring as well :(. Some are limited to 10 per time at the pharmacy and we take 2 or more a day!
Would you mind posting the link to the page on their site which lists a price? DH is telling me the test should cost less than $50.
Every single state needs to implement this NOW. I am bring induced Monday and have been watching the number of visitors I’m allowed to have slowly dwindle to 1. There is a decent chance that I’m in the hospital until at least Friday since I’ll get a c section Wednesday if my body doesn’t respond to the induction. I could not imagine being alone that whole time.
Some of the people in my preggo groups have been allowed no one and some are turning to home births. (Bad idea especially right now but I totally get it.)
All the best, Romani.
CDC warns against misusing chloroquine
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated guidance on Saturday that warns consumers against ingesting chloroquine phosphate to try to cure or prevent the COVID-19.
Clinicians and public health officials should discourage the public from misusing chloroquine phosphate, without a prescription and supervision from a heath care provider, the CDC said in a statement.
The CDC issued its new guidance after two individuals who consumed non-pharmaceutical chloroquine phosphate, a chemical for aquarium use that is sold in stores and online, became seriously ill. One of the two people died shortly after arrival to the hospital.
“At this time, there are no routinely available pharmaceutical products that are FDA-approved for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19,” the CDC said. (CNBC)
Authorities are hopeful that Argentina may have imposed its nationwide lockdown early enough to avoid the kind of difficult scenarios seen in the US or Europe. The country added only 55 new cases of coronavirus and two deaths to its toll Saturday, bringing the total to 745 cases and 19 deaths so far, a sharp drop from the 101 cases Friday.
“The spike is moving to May and we are hoping it won’t be abrupt,” said health minister Ginés González García.
The lockdown was declared on March 20 when there were only 128 cases and three deaths reported.
The government’s deepest concern regarding the spread of the virus is the Greater Buenos Aires area around the capital city of buenos Aires, with a population of over 12 million people.
Some 21% of the GBA live in shanty towns, most of them without access to running water, nearly half of whom sleep more than three to a room. Unemployment is over 10% and 40% of the employed are informal workers without benefits.
“The quarantine is a dramatic situation for people in vulnerable situations,” said Agustín Salvia of the Social Observatory of the Catholic University of Buenos Aires, which provides the most reliable statistics on poverty in Argentina.
The quarantine has had one unexpected consequence, according to pharmacists, a shortage of Viagra, after the stock for March sold out early.
“There was an unexpected consumption,” said Marcelo Peretta, head of the Argentine Union of Pharmacists, who blamed the free time at home by the imposed quarantine for the run on the erectile dysfunction drug.
“We had to limit the amount sold per person, we never thought we’d sell this much Viagra.” (Guardian)
Mexico’s deputy health minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell called on Saturday on all residents in Mexico to stay at home for a month, saying it was the only way to reduce the transmission rate of the coronavirus.
Mexican health authorities said there was a total of 848 confirmed cases in Mexico as of Saturday, 131 more than the previous day, and 16 deaths.
@3SailAway. I can’t. We order directly from Henry Schein and Moore and a few others. It lists both the tests for Sars and for CV. (they are similar). It’s a 15 minute result test that needs just a finger prick. Maybe the insurance companies pay the rest. I was shocked at the pricing of it. I think I posted the advertisement we got. It might be illegal for me to post the actually cost sheet from the manufacturer BTW.