I receive Covid updates from the CDC. Last night’s e-mail says that now it appears the the biggest indicator for a bad outcome from covid is obesity. Hypertension has been downgraded. The largest growing amount of cases are from asymptomatic people who are being discovered through increased testing. It is estimated that from March the number of cases was actually 10 fold of that reported. The other factors associated with a poor outcome is Type 2 diabetes, asthma and cystic fibrosis.
I heard someone on TV this morning saying we’re past the point of no return. I believe I agree with them. It’s sad.
At this point we’re (Creeklanders) staying away from others as I detailed before and I’m probably going to be lowering our donations to charities - not because I think they’re less worthy of sending $$ to, but because I’m wondering if our emergency funds are large enough for expenses over the long term. Before this I had kept our budget steady with extra donations to everything from the food bank to our public TV station and more in between both local and worldwide getting what we weren’t spending. If I find things are doing ok, I can always up donations again later. I can’t ask for the money back if our (self employed) income drops.
Personal choices are going to determine the outcome for most of us. That means wearing your mask and maintaining 6’ between yourself and co-workers or having a barrier between if spacing is not possible (required in Ohio). It means walking out of a crowded bar if employees aren’t masked (as required) and sticking to your table with 6’ between parties (no greater than 10). Stop hosting/attending indoor gatherings with lots of households. Visit with others primarily with outdoor activities (outside nursing home visits have resumed in Ohio). Etc. Will that eliminate the virus? No, but it will hopefully give us a chance to keep our hospitals from being overwhelmed and a means to earn a living.
https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/responsible-restart-ohio/
The other main point was to maintain the 6 feet and definitely wear a mask if that is not possible.
Re: restaurants & bars
The hesitation to return to work is not just UI on steroids.
It’s a health risk if you find yourself working in a crowded space with unmasked guests talking at you.
It’s a financial risk because you are not returning to the job you previously held.
$$ is not going to be the same, likely worse, and there is the risk of the business needing to close for x days/weeks due to an outbreak —- and zero pay.
Mess!
There are some positives. Rents are falling sharply in many cities, making them more affordable for middle class families. The environment has improved from the lack of manufacturing and commuting. And perhaps affluent Americans, especially those in the medical community, might finally support universal health care since they now realize that the uninsured population puts them at great personal risk. I see all those results as very good.
I agree – some people are clearly experiencing (and unfortunately repeatedly expressing) mental health issues.
Well, didn’t Cuomo offer to send HCWs to any state that needed them if HCWs from that state came to NYC? Seems like it’s time to make him walk the talk, and I hope the surging states remind him of his promise.
I saw an article about the tragic death of a “healthy” teen from COVID. The headline said this young person “had no underlying health conditions.” Yet the photograph revealed morbid obesity and the article mentioned that the individual was first hospitalized in Type 1 diabetes crisis and tested positive for COVID after being admitted.
I don’t know if the Type 1 diabetes was the result of COVID infection (certainly possible) or simply a confounding variable. This kind of diabetes is not lifestyle related.
Point being, even omitting the diabetes link, morbid obesity does not a “healthy” child make. I wonder how many cases with terrible outcomes are overstating the positive health status of people. It is terrifying to read that a “perfectly healthy” person has died of COVID. But generally speaking, the more we learn about this illness, it does seem that the sicker or more vulnerable one is at the time of infection, the worse the outcome. And that makes perfect sense. Of course there are outliers. The case of the Broadway actor is pretty horrific.
Having medication controlled hypertension and taking a drug that has still not been proven to be a problem, (or as some have postulated, an actual solution-trials ongoing) means that I can’t consider myself a low risk. So I really need to avoid the temptation to relax my vigilance with regard to protective measures.
I sure do get the whole concept of quarantine fatigue. But we really can’t give in to it as a society. The virus doesn’t take a break just because we are sick of the whole thing. We know that wearing a mask is only one intervention needed to slow the spread, but it’s a biggie, and the politicalization of wearing a mask is really a very sad development that is only going to make things harder on ourselves.
Thx for posting all those articles.
Unfortunately, this outcome was completely predictable.
It’s going to be a horrible, horrible summer.
Imo, these states are going to have no choice but to close down again. Pausing reopening is useless at this point. And it’s to late for masks to even make much of a difference because it’s now everywhere in these places. I expect another week or so of pretending the few things they are doing now will stem the tide, then boom.
They are going to have to start from scratch and then go through what the Northeast states did for the next 90 days or so.
There is no other way.
Some people have immediate relatives who lived (and in some cases, died) thru the epidemics of diptheria, influenza, and polio ( not to mention Depressions and wars) so it makes us a bit more resilient in outlook. We will get through the summer.
Agreed, @doschicos
The other way is to plow right through it with que sera, sera. I suspect some places (and a percentage of people) will choose it just as they have been.
It’s why we’ve made the choices we are fortunate enough to be able to make. I feel for those who don’t get to choose. I always have felt for that group.
There will be a WH CV Task Force briefing at 12:30 today.
Can’t even remember the last time there was one. Has to be at least a month.
Maybe they are going to announce they are disbanding because the virus is fading away. /sarcasm
Almost 2 months!
It’s tempting to stay inside and watch it, but I have a field that really needs to be mowed today (weed control) as soon as the rain/dew dries outside. Cliff Notes may have to suffice.
The site is aware that there is an issue with tags and they are working to address the situation.
I honestly don’t know what the solution is, as some of you seem to think you do. If we do X then we get Y…
I just don’t know what the balance is at this point. I’ve seen way too many who are impacted so negatively by this economy to say, heck just shut everything down. My friends declared bankruptcy, people waiting in line to get food from the food pantry, parents struggled to stay relevant and professional while taking care of their young children at home. I have people telling me they can’t do this any more and that they don’t care if they or their kids get the virus, just get it over and done with. I know the conversations are at their lowest, and I am a good listener, people trust me. They may not mean it on a good day.
Well, I suppose sympathy for those who have limited choices is marginally better than nothing. Not much better, honestly, but I suppose a smidge.
I just hope we don’t hear Pence’s rosy assessment of how we’re doing. What’s going on in several states can’t be ignored by the task force.
I also saw an article on pool testing. Maybe that’s what the task force will be announcing. Samples from 20 people are pooled and tested with a single test kit. If the result is negative, then all 20 are negative. If the result is positive, only then would all 20 be tested. Fauci thinks this may be a way to expand testing without the need for alot more kits.
Thanks for this info. I’d noticed that hypertension had been downgraded. For obesity to be considered, it’s over 40 BMI, I believe?