Coronavirus in the US

Parent Cafe
11561

Already linked and mentioned in #11525 and #11533:
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/wuhan-deaths-03272020182846.html
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/22698387/#Comment_22698387
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/22698491/#Comment_22698491

The comment from “a source close to the provincial civil affairs bureau” suggests that the official number (2,500) may be technically true (deaths after diagnosis for COVID-19) but highly misleading (due people dying at home without any diagnosis or treatment for COVID-19, with (according to that source) 28,000 cremations in a month compared to the usual rate of under 7,000 in a month).

It also means that, even in places where there is no intent to deceive, insufficient testing could result in misleading numbers of cases and deaths.

11562

People in Wuhan are told to go to the mortuaries to collect their relatives’ remains within a 13 day span. Each mortuary will hand out 500 boxes per day. There are 7 mortuaries in the city of Wuhan so they will hand out 3500 boxes/day for 13 days. Officially, Wuhan recorded only approx 2500 deaths.
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/wuhan-residents-dismiss-official-coronavirus-death-toll-the-incinerators-have-been-working-around-the-clock/

I also read that there were hardly test kits available in Wuhan and only people who had a positive CAT scan of their lungs were counted as infected.
I wish our news outlets would stop comparing Spain, Italy and US etc numbers to China’s.

11563

^That’s why they had to kick out reporters from WSJ, WaPo, NYT, etc.

11564

Latest numbers from Westchester County NY - an early epicenter.

9326 confirmed positive
378 hospitalized
19 fatalities

https://www.lohud.com/story/news/coronavirus/2020/03/30/coronavirus-ny-westchester-totals-yonkers-new-rochelle-greenburgh-white-plains/5086329002/

11565

Ford will produce 50,000 ventilators
From CNN’s Vanessa Yurkevich and Peter Valdes-Dapena

Ford will produce 50,000 ventilators in Michigan over the next 100 days, the company announced today.

This is the second ventilator partnership the automaker will produce with GE. Production is expected to start the week of April 20 at a Ford plant in Ypsilanti, Michigan, with the capacity to produce 30,000 ventilators per month if needed.

This new initiative is in addition to the program by Ford and GE Healthcare to increase production of existing GE Healthcare ventilators, which they announced last week. The ventilators will be produced by 500 paid volunteer UAW employees over three shifts.

“The Ford and GE Healthcare teams, working creatively and tirelessly, have found a way to produce this vitally needed ventilator quickly and in meaningful numbers,” said Jim Hackett, Ford’s CEO. “By producing this ventilator in Michigan, in strong partnership with the UAW, we can help health care workers save lives, and that’s our No. 1 priority.”

About 15 tons of medical supplies arrive in Spain from China
From CNN’s Mia Alberti in Lisbon

An A400 Spanish military plane arrived on Monday at the Zaragoza airport carrying about 15 tons of medical supplies from China, Defense Minister Margarita Robles announced at a news conference.

Part of the supplies will go to the Spanish autonomous island regions.

Robles said the supplies are “essential” to Spain’s fight against Covid-19.

She also announced “a battalion of engineers” will build another makeshift hospital in the indoor running track of Sabadel in Madrid, and plans for another center in Barcelona are being discussed.

Chicago to treat coronavirus patients at convention center
From CNN’s Bill Kirkos in Chicago

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, the US Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA announced plans to temporarily convert part of the McCormick Place Convention Center into an care facility for Covid-19 patients experiencing mild symptoms who don’t require intensive care.

The buildout of the facility will take place in phases, and will ultimately house 3,000 patients between three different locations at the convention center, according to a statement.

Construction is currently underway with up to 500 beds expected to be assembled by the end of this week.

New Jersey governor says the state needs an additional 2,000 ventilators
From CNN’s Laura Ly

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said today that he originally asked for 2,300 ventilators from the federal government. CNN has previously reported that 300 ventilators from the federal stockpile are on their way to the state.

Murphy thanked the Trump administration for their assistance, but still argued that the state needs an additional 2,000 ventilators in the long run.

Murphy said he would continue to advocate for New Jersey to get these ventilators from the federal government, but that the state is also looking for purchase additional ventilators through their own means as well.

California makes a plea for health care workers to boost staffing levels
From CNN’s Cheri Mossburg

California is calling on health care professionals, including medical students and the recently retired, to step up to help treat coronavirus patients.

In preparation for a surge in Covid-19 patients, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new website where health care workers can sign up and get matched to the need in their area.

There are currently more than 766,000 health care professionals in California, the governor said. He hopes to add 37,000 more workers.

Newsom made it clear that these professionals will be paid for their work, saying that reimbursements and grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will help provide the required funds.

11566

Thank you! So that’s +857 yesterday

I wish they didn’t say this

as the numbers add up to about 6.5K, so they are about 4 days behind the real numbers.

11567

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/30/world/coronavirus-who-masks-recommendation-trnd/index.html

11568

The pastor mentioned in post #11459 by @menloparkmom who was still holding in-person services at his mega-church has now been arrested for violating the state’s stay at home order.
quotePastor Rodney Howard-Browne said he wouldn’t close his doors of his Tampa, Florida, megachurch until the End Times begin. The police weren’t willing to wait that long.

On Monday, Florida sheriff’s deputies arrested the evangelical pastor, who has continued to host large church services despite public orders urging residents to stay home to help contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said Howard-Browne has been charged with two counts: unlawful assembly and a violation of health emergency rules. Both are second-degree misdemeanors, Chronister said at a press conference Monday.
Rodney Howard-Browne in his booking photo Monday.
Rodney Howard-Browne in his booking photo Monday.
Last week Hillsborough County issued an order directing residents to remain at home effective March 27 except for “essential services” – including trips to the grocery store, the doctor’s office and the pharmacy. The county’s list of “essential services” does not include attending church.
Florida has more than 5,200 confirmed coronavirus cases and at least 63 deaths, according to the state’s health department.

[/quote]

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/30/us/florida-pastor-arrested-river-church/index.html

11569

Governors tell Trump about lack of supplies during call, source says
From CNN’s Lauren Fox

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock raised the lack of supplies including both personal protective equipment and testing capabilities on a phone call with President Trump and other governors, a source familiar tells CNN.

The New York Times first reported that Bullock, a Democrat, told Trump "officials in his state were attempting to do ‘contact tracing’ — tracking down people who have come into contact with those who have tested positive — but they were struggling because ‘we don’t have adequate tests.’”

According to the Times, Trump responded saying, “I haven’t heard about testing in weeks,” and told the governors “We’ve tested more now than any nation in the world. We’ve got these great tests and we’re coming out with a faster one this week.” He added, “I haven’t heard about testing being a problem.”

New Orleans has more than 1,400 cases of coronavirus
From CNN’s Stephanie Gallman

There are 1,480 cases of coronavirus in New Orleans, the city’s Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced during a radio town hall.

At least 86 people in the New Orleans have died from the illness, Cantrell added.

DC issues stay-at-home order
CNN

Washington, DC has become the latest location to issue a stay-at-home order, according to a statement from the Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office.

“Our message remains the same: stay home,” the mayor said in the statement. “Staying at home is the best way to flatten the curve and protect yourself, your family, and our entire community from COVID-19. Many people want to know how they can help right now, and for most people this is how – by staying home.”
According to the order, all DC residents may only leave their home for essential activities like buying food and medical care. Essential workers are exempt from the order.

Neighboring states Maryland and Virginia issued similar orders today.

11570

New York City applied to the federal government for second disaster relief morgue
From CNN’s Mark Morales

New York City has applied to the federal government for a second disaster relief morgue that is expected to be placed in Queens, a city official confirmed to CNN.

The exact location isn’t known yet and it’s not known when the city’s application will be accepted, the official added.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) previously said it received a request from New York and other states for assistance with mortuary operations. Hawaii and North Carolina have made similar requests.

On Monday, FEMA confirmed they have received a request from New York City for 250 ambulances and assistance from the Disaster Mortuary Operational Rescue Team (DMORT) for 85 refrigerated storage units and mortuary affairs teams.

Two experts from the DMORT have been deployed to New York City to “to serve as consultants for mortuary affairs and to help identify federal support needed in the area,” FEMA said.

CNN has reached out to FEMA for further comment.

About a third of workers at an Amazon delivery site in central Italy have gone on strike, a union representative says, citing a request for enhanced safety measures.

A company representative has claimed activity at the site in Calenzano, near Florence, has not been affected and said it had already cut deliveries and stepped up safety measures to protect both its direct employees and independent couriers.

Around 300 people work at the site, more than two-thirds of them independent couriers delivering parcels for the world’s largest online retailer. (Guardian)

L.L.Bean is pitching in to make medical masks

L.L.Bean is using material from its dog beds to make medical masks, CEO Stephen Smith told CNBC’s Courtney Reagan. “It’s breathable. It’s very durable. It’s washable,” Smith said, noting the idea came from employees who started to experiment.

L.L.Bean is so far making around 5,000 per day, Smith said. Smith also called on Congress to pass additional relief measures that help more U.S. retailers. Smith said his concern was concentrated around “middle market retail” — not companies selling essential goods like groceries or small mom-and-pop stores. These companies in the middle have so far been “missed” by relief measures, Smith said. “I think it’s a really serious situation, and I actually don’t think it’s getting enough attention,” Smith said. (CNBC) <3

11571

San Francisco extends shelter-in-place through April

San Francisco Mayor London Breed said the Bay Area’s shelter-in-place order will be extended until May 1.

“We’re working to slow the spread of coronavirus in San Francisco, but we know that the challenges we face are going to get tougher. The public health order for people to stay safe in their homes will soon be extended until at least May 1. More details to come soon,” Breed said in a tweet.

The mandate, which bans all non-essential trips outside the home, started at midnight on March 17 and was initially set to expire on April 7. San Francisco has 374 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and six deaths.

San Francisco officials also released a statement regarding a growing outbreak of the coronavirus inside Laguna Honda Hospital. In response, the CDC has sent San Francisco infection control nurses from the California Department of Public Health and infectious disease physicians and epidemiologists.

Laguna Honda Hospital currently has 11 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Nine of the cases are staff and two are residents. (CNBC)

AA meetings, addiction counseling move online as social-distancing guidelines limit group gatherings

With stay-at-home orders across the U.S., meetings and counseling sessions for those who struggle with addiction issues are now taking place online during the coronavirus pandemic. These types of resources are more needed than ever, according to addiction groups, mental health counselors and individuals who struggle with substance abuse issues.

“I don’t know what I would have done if I had been in this situation when we didn’t have access to virtual meetings,” said a 26-year-old woman from Brooklyn, New York, who participates in Alcoholics Anonymous. When she spoke with CNBC, she was 62 days sober and planning to attend 90 meetings in her first 90 days of sobriety.

She said a recent meeting she attended through the video conferencing platform Zoom had over 1,000 people in it. In her experience, virtual meetings are very similar to the in-person ones she’s gone to in New York City: A speaker talks for 10 to 20 minutes and then people share their experiences if they’re willing. Zoom has a “raise hand” feature that allows people to indicate if they want to speak, though not everyone is able to in large groups. Donations are made through the mobile payment app Venmo rather than a collection basket.

“It’s almost too easy because I can take a meeting sitting in my bed,” the woman said. (CNBC)

@privatebanker

11572

My husband thinks it is much more than than based on many specific things such as calculations made based on the capacity of the crematoriums in Wuhan (which were running 24/7 during the outbreak when normally run only part of the time during the day at all 3 facilities). I don’t trust the Chinese numbers, but I do think they give some good data such as % fatality rate, infection rate, breakdown of which age group more likely to die, and much more, so I don’t think they are junk, just not the full story.

11573

Regarding those Westchester numbers I posted - 19 deaths out of 9326 positives makes for a .2% death rate. In comparison, NYC has had 790 deaths out of 36,000 positives, for a 2.2% death rate. I have no idea what could account for such a huge difference.

11574

Amid outbreak, 49% of companies considering layoffs, more than one-third freezing new hires

Nearly 50% of companies say they are at least somewhat likely to conduct layoffs over the next three months due to coronavirus COVID-19, while more than one-third of firms (37%) say they have already instituted a hiring freeze.

That’s from an online survey of more than 250 companies, varying in size and sector, conducted from March 20–26 by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the oldest outplacement firm in the U.S., which works with companies on transitions services for employees. At that time the survey launched, coronavirus cases had just passed 18,000 in the U.S.; companies were advising employees to work from home; states such as California, New Jersey, Connecticut and New York had started to institute statewide stay-at-home orders; and all but nonessential businesses began shuttering.

Forty-nine percent of companies told Challenger, Gray & Christmas they are very or somewhat likely to conduct layoffs in the next three months, while 11% reported they have conducted permanent layoffs; another 7% have conducted temporary layoffs. (CNBC)

Oil drops to 18-year low as global demand evaporates

U.S. oil dropped to an 18-year low as demand continues to evaporate, and as Saudi Arabia and other OPEC+ nations prepare to ramp up production. With much of the world in lockdown as the coronavirus pandemic rages on, demand for oil has fallen off a cliff. People aren’t traveling and business has slowed, reducing the need for jet fuel and gasoline.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell 6.6%, or $1.42, to settle at $20.09, its lowest level since February 2002. Earlier in the session the contract shed more than 9% to trade at a session low of $19.27. International benchmark Brent crude fell 9.2% to trade at $22.63 per barrel, a price last seen in 2002.

Despite WTI’s 55% slide this month, some analysts think there could be even more downside ahead.

Raymond James analyst John Freeman said on Monday that a “nightmarish scenario” has been created and crude could “test the $10/bbl threshold.” (CNBC)

Trump shares details on machine that disinfects masks
From CNN’s Daniella Diaz

President Trump said the Food and Drug Administration approved a machine that could disinfect N95 masks, so health care providers could reuse them.

“Each machine now can disinfect 120,000 masks per day,” Trump said today. “Now, think of that. Each machine can disinfect 120,000 masks per day. It will be just like a new one. It can go up to about 20 times for each mask.”

He continued: “So each mask can go through this process 20 times. And they have two in Ohio, one in New York, and one will soon be shipped to Seattle, Washington. And also to Washington, DC. So that’s going to make a tremendous difference on the masks.”

The FDA approved the use of the mask cleaning machine produced by Columbus based Battelle earlier Monday.

11575

Trump: 1 million have been tested in US for coronavirus
CNN

President Trump announced Monday that the United States has tested one million people in the country for novel coronavirus.

“Today we reached a historic milestone in our war against the coronavirus. Over one million Americans have been tested — more than any other country by far. Not even close,” Trump told reporters in the White House Rose Garden.

Health and Human Services Sec. Alex Azar also touted the testing milestone, saying that it was “a number no other country has reached.”

“We’re now testing over 100,000 samples a day— also a level that no other country has reached,” he added.

Here’s what we know about the 15-minute coronavirus test
From CNN’s Arman Azad

Stephen M. Hahn, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, described today a new point-of-care coronavirus test that was recently approved.

The test can provide results in less than 15 minutes using the same technology that powers some rapid flu tests.

“Just like tests for flu or strep, you go to the doctor’s office and can get an answer within minutes of having the tests done,” Hahn said.

The FDA authorized the test for emergency use, signaling that federal regulators were satisfied with the test’s validation data and believe its benefits outweigh any risks, such as false positives or negatives.

The platform used to run the test weighs less than 7 pounds, according to Abbott, and could be deployed “where testing is needed most,” such as at coronavirus hotspots.

11576

I didn’t read his original article but the follow up interview in the New Yorker makes me question if he has mental health issues (I don’t mean that in a snarky way but a serious way–he sounds like he is crazy). I can’t imagine anyone reading at least that article and being convinced to listen to him. I would have to read the original article but if it was anything like the interview I just read, anyone who read it and thought he was right, well, I just can’t imagine anyone who is intelligent listening to that and agreeing with him. It is so filled with obvious fallacies. It’s scary that some on the right grabbed onto an article written by this person who is in no way qualified to direct policy and that this seems to have influenced Trump and those around him to underestimate the danger our country was in and so not react sooner.

11577

I think it is very likely that more presidents and administrations are responsible in part for shortages of key supplies. I can believe that. But the buck stops with the current administration, esp after 3+ years of the presidency when there was time to change things. Can’t blame others for this without also blaming himself since he has been our president for some time now.

11578

““Today we reached a historic milestone in our war against the coronavirus. Over one million Americans have been tested — more than any other country by far. Not even close,” Trump told reporters in the White House Rose Garden.”

Is there an independent source for that number? Sorry if I don’t trust what the govenment is telling us - over a month ago, there were ‘millions and millions of tests’, so, I’d like to know if this number is true.

11579

And disappear Chinese reporters, too. :frowning:

11580

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8166599/Germany-test-200-000-people-DAY-coronavirus.html

"Germany is already testing more than any other European country at a rate of up to 500,000 a week, but the latest plans would more than double that capacity.

Germany is planning to test 200,000 people a day for coronavirus in the hope of replicating South Korea’s success in slowing the outbreak, it has emerged."

As for a million total tests, Germany is in that ballpark already.