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Corona Virus Blog - March 19, 2020

Good morning!  Let's continue the conversation.

Thank you for all your kind words yesterday - I am feeling much better. My great hope is that I have been through a mild form of the virus and am now immune, but I won't know that until Corona virus tests are widely available to everyone.


Comments

Nutty Flavor said…
Just to start the conversation off - if you'll forgive me a brief moment of politics - I was shocked to see Ilan Omar, a very left-wing US congresswoman of Somali heritage - actually praising Donald Trump this morning.

In response to Trump's suspension of all mortgage foreclosures, putting together cash payments for Americans, and invoking the Defense Production Act to force private firms to produce needed supplies, she Tweeted.

Politics aside, this is incredible and the right response in this critical time. 👏🏽.@AyannaPressley always says, unprecedented times require unprecedented leadership and we are seeing that in our country right now. I have faith that we will survive this as a nation and build together. Finally, we should never let politics get in the way of good policy. This is a great start and hope others will be part of a united front to push for good policies that will help us work through the economic anxiety the country is feeling right now.

So weird to see two such diametrically-opposed figures in agreement. I was sincerely shocked.

It reminds me of the aftermath of September 11, when people really did come together, at least for a little while.
Portcitygirl said…
Morning, Nutty!

I have insomnia of late and was pleased to read you are doing so much better! About Trump and Omar, wonders never cease.

My great concern now is that more big box grocery stores aren't offering more curbside. Their staff is going to get ill and spread the virus. I called my rep and suggested this with using Amazon and chick fil a as an example. There should be food warehouses now curbside as efficient as chick fill a. It is only a matter of time when employees from over exposure infect their families and refuse to come in. This is time for the military and guard to step up and help organize this.
Portcitygirl said…
Also, our hotels are empty. They could become triage centers.

There is also a rumor that Bill Gates owns the Wuhan lab. Curious that he stepped down from board, too. Kill
Portcitygirl said…
And my stupid auto spelled kill arghhhh
@Nutty,’My Mum read/heard there’s a test to be made available that can show whether you’ve had the virus or not. This was in the UK media, I’m sure it won’t apply just to my country.
Nutty Flavor said…
@Raspberry, that would be great.

Then people who know they've already had the virus could be more active in helping the uninfected - say, taking the place of some of those grocery workers.

That's assuming that there are not two strains of the virus, which is something I've read here and there, and assuming that people who have already had the virus can no longer be contagious.
Animal Lover said…
Glad you're feeling better Nutty.

More stores are offering special hours for seniors and disabled people to shop.
Also both Trader Joe's and some Walmart stores are limiting purchases. One Walmart actually had staff roping off and handing out only one large roll of toilet paper and paper towels per customer. I'm also seeing management throwing uncooperative customers out the door!
Typical snarky articles in the Grauniad* today. Eg:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/19/underlying-conditions-coronavirus-health

Trust them deliberately to misinterpret/misrepresent Govt policy, as it applies to England and Wales.

I have it on reasonable authority that the idea is to protect the most vulnerable (those with `underlying conditions' and us oldies) for as long as possible by taking us out of circulation - children have always been `super-spreaders' of respiratory infection and are to be avoided. Hopefully, we shan't succumb until the younger ones are quickly (it's hoped) over it and now immune, and the NHS has had time to prepare for patients who are likely to need a higher level of care for longer.

The alternative would be us hogging the hospital facilities or being left to die at home.

The underlying rationale seems completely sensible, for all that it looks counter-intuitive and plays into the hands of the Left.

No `solution' at the moment is perfect but this seems the best possible under the circumstances.

Meanwhile, we are preparing for `self-isolation' for at least a month.

I can't decide whether to call it `house arrest', `confined to barracks' or `under siege'. We're expected to order further supplies of food online, but the supermarkets are struggling to cope with this (and my computer is being coaxed along, prior to being replaced when this is all over).

There's a lot of criticism about so-called `panic buying' - I bet the critics aren't among those having to cut themselves off. I've found a milkman to deliver our pinta but the firm is having difficulties with others intervening, buying up milk from the farms that supply them.

We're lucky, we have the resources and resourcefulness to cope. It must be hell for those in a weaker position. There seems to be a local help group now - we had a note through the door from `Friends in Need' offering to do shopping, collect prescriptions and so on. Good for them.


* Private Eye's name for the Guardian; it was one time riddled with typos.
One UK supermarket, Morrisons, has another solution.

It's reported that they are making up boxes of basic supplies (v.efficient use of staff), same idea as military ration boxes? (Who's for AFD Chicken Supreme & Beef Curry - they'd be v. welcome).

These can be ordered and paid for over the phone; they're to be delivered direct from their distribution centres.
brown-eyed said…
It is the annual drunken spring break in Florida. Watch this sickening video of students explaining why they aren’t going to quit partying until the beaches are shut down. I am actually wondering why FL is permitting this gathering this year. It is, of course, huge, huge, huge revenue every year. FL is filled with older adults who retire there or just go there in the winter. WHY isn’t this shut down?

https://youtu.be/IB44ZZda2G0
brown-eyed said…
On a positive note, two grocery store companies who have stores all over our area, are offering early hour shopping just for seniors. 6-7 am and 7-8 am. Very good gesture. Many restaurants and specialty food stores are offering drive-through pickup of dinners. We’re picking up dinner tonight that way. Salmon, rice, green veg, small salad and dessert. Reasonably priced also. When my husband went to Trader Joe’s on Tuesday, there were NO frozen foods and NO canned foods. The store gets daily deliveries, but they immediately sell out. 🧻🧻🧻 toilet paper—don’t even ask. It will all get worked out, I’d sure. We have supplies, fortunately. Miss seeing our children and grandchildren. We’re doing FaceTime.
Fairy Crocodile said…
Nutty, great news you are feeling better. I wanted to share the following statistics released by the Japanese government: 80% of the infected suffer the virus is a very light form, like a cold, 20% with coughing and constrained breathing and of them only 6% require intubation and intensive therapy.

There is no panic and practically no excess buying in Japan. Why? First of all, people follow advice. They wear masks in crowded places, they bow instead of handshakes, they wash hands thoroughly after coming home and before eating, they leave shoes outside when enter homes, they use hand disinfectants when enter public offices and stay at home if feel unwell.

80% (!) of infected Japanese don't pass the infection further to anybody else. It ends with them.

Japanese also report that the new virus can be successfully treated with a drug that has been in use for almost 30 years to treat pancreatitis. Nafamostat (Fusan) stops the virus enter the cell membrane.

What a contrast to what we observe in the West. I now firmly believe the current panic is caused to the great degree by sensationalists media and absence of immediate clear guidelines from the government, which worked in favor of panic inducing press.

And finally, some more statistics. World total of infected 189642, recovered 82844, died 7771 as of today.
Stay well everybody!
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MeliticusBee said…
@Fairy - that drug is not approved in the US so likely to be obtainable, though there is some promise using Hydroxychloroquine - a malaria drug sometimes used for AIDS patients and oddly, rheumatoid arthritis. However, because it isn't a popular drug...supplies are likely to be limited. A few patients at each hospital will pretty much wipe out the supplies everywhere so...
Also an antiviral remdesivir may work...but who knows.
Overall - it's just a waiting game I think.
Fairy Crocodile said…
@Unknown

I also responded on the other Nutty Blog. Close friends of ours live in Sapporo, Japan and we have been in touch to make sure they are fine. There is no panic there, they follow directions from the government and stay at home as much as possible, apart from walks to get fresh air. Our friend has had some pretty serious health issues, so she is careful. But I have not seen any desperation, fear or panic in them. They simply follow very strict hygiene regime and reduce all contacts to the minimum. If they need to go to the shop they wear masks, same as everyone else, including shop staff. Glad if this is useful!
Fairy Crocodile said…
@MeticulousBee

Yes, I understand different countries have different approved drugs. It was simply comforting to learn that something that has been in use for many years and known and studied well can be effective against the virus.

I think it is not impossible for other countries to speed up the approval of a particular drug if it treats covid safely and effectively. It gives me hope!

Please stay safe everybody, my thought and prayers are with you.
SwampWoman said…
brown-eyed said...
It is the annual drunken spring break in Florida. Watch this sickening video of students explaining why they aren’t going to quit partying until the beaches are shut down. I am actually wondering why FL is permitting this gathering this year. It is, of course, huge, huge, huge revenue every year. FL is filled with older adults who retire there or just go there in the winter. WHY isn’t this shut down?


We're up to 390 positive cases, 60 are "non-Florida residents", and 8 deaths. There are 10 deaths and 287 positive COVID-19 cases in Georgia. The governor has largely left how to respond to the virus up to the counties/cities because some counties have no positive cases or 1 or 2 cases. If you want to think of the positive things about a bunch of drunken teens and early 20s cavorting, salt water in the air has been long noted to be beneficial to respiratory diseases, and vitamin D is good for the immune system (and they're all mostly nekkid so lots of vitamin D).

I like to think that it is all part of a science experiment. The young people are all there voluntarily. They'll be there a week or two and then go home pregnant or with a sexually-transmitted disease and maybe a case of coronavirus. Will they be less ill than can be expected? Will the heat and humidity play a role in slowing the transmission of the virus?

The real reason is, of course, that the Miami area is made of more than half of people born in Latin American countries.

SwampWoman said…
D'OH! THIRTY are non-Florida residents.
Shaggy said…
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Animal Lover said…
@Fairy Crocodile,

Thanks for the info. I was in Japan shortly after the SARS epidemic. Many people were wearing masks, so I did too, but noticed a westerner laughing at us. Better safe than sorry.
I wish the president would use the war powers act and order pharmaceutical companies to begin manufacturing medications in Puerto Rico again. It's a win win situation. We'd be in control of out supply and Puerto Rico would have desperately needed jobs.

An update from Seattle, my vet is not allowing people into the office, instead they will take my pet, perform necessary tests and bring him out to me. All conversation will be by phone. When I arrive at the vet's office, I'm to let them know I'm there by calling them from my cell.

When I saw my doctor yesterday at a major medical center, the staff took my temperature, asked me if I had shortness of breath or other symptoms that would identity Covid-19. After being screened I proceeded to an empty doctor's waiting area. Seattle was a ghost town.

The information below is from the Washington Examiner, a conservative daily:


The Trump administration, moving quickly to halt the spread of the coronavirus, is seriously considering grounding all passenger air traffic for up to 30 days, temporarily halt stock trading on Wall Street, and imposing a “shelter in place” rule, according to officials.



Sorry for any typos.
CatEyes said…
I went to Walmart in my closet North Texas town of approx. 6,500 resident s (with 12,000 Uni students told to finish school online) and saw that much of the canned goods, all cereal, pasta etc.. wiped out along with zero toilet paper, bottled water, paper towels gone. They have shortened hours and are limiting certain goods to only one of each (like sanitary, wipes, toilet paper, etc..) I cannot believe it but the meat case had very little other than $30 steak pkgs., huge briskets, expensive seafood and turkeys at a decent price.

Our county, a rural No. Texas one has yet to report a single COVID-19 case.
SwampWoman said…
Okay, now 432 positive cases in Florida and maybe 9 deaths? Not sure if the latest death is in the statistics. The people in the most dangerous categories (60 years of age and above) are 40 percent of the cases. The majority are located in 3 counties in south Florida.
Shaggy said…
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brown-eyed said…
If you want to follow on a real time, interactive the Johns Hopkins map is “da bomb”. It shows worldwide numbers of confirmed cases, deaths, and recoveries and more. It is used by many TV channels and it is highly accurate, including constant updates. WHO provides data. It is faster than my state/county update websites. It covers the whole world. You can select a country, pinch the map to make it bigger and pick a county (in the US ), and get up to date info. It tells you how recently it updated , usually 2 seconds ago.
Here is the link: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbc4i.com/community/health/coronavirus/johns-hopkins-offers-live-interactive-map-of-global-coronavirus-cases/amp/
SwampWoman said…
CatEyes, yep, it is as if everybody in the nation got a weather alert for an imminent incoming category 5 storm. That's how bad everything has been wiped out here. THAT is going to take a little time to buff out!

Went to the local grocery store tonight. Meat section still empty. Dairy section empty EXCEPT for 3 half gallons of half and half. I picked one up for my coffee because when the grandkids went through 3 gallons of milk in 2 and a half days, SwampMan drank a half gallon of the half and half for my coffee. (He probably won't do that anymore.)

I got some Oreos for the grandkids because I just was not up to baking every grandchild their favorite cookie when I'd spent the day outside in the sun, the new A/C hasn't been installed yet, and it is 85 degrees inside the house at 9:15 p.m. I didn't feel in any particular danger because we were social distancing our asses off and I used the self-checkout. Dollar General, on the other hand, was well restocked and they even had gallons of milk!
SwampWoman said…
Anon-Unknown said...
NJ has now had a 3 year old die of the virus. I still haven't gotten all the facts for today - things have gotten a lot worse here.


OMG! Hope this wasn't related to the family that lost THREE family members from the CV. Sounds like maybe a mutation and not for the better.

Shaggy said…
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SwampWoman said…
I wonder if Italians are somehow genetically susceptible to this.
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Meowwww said…
2 people have now died here in Wisconsin. A man in his 50s and a man in his 90s. Other side of the state from me, however we are right at the Minnesota border and the county next to us in MN has several cases.
Nutty I am glad you are feeling better.
Anon-Unknown, there was an issue with the pre ious format here. Nutty just fixed it the other day. Don’t be discouraged!
Shaggy said…
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Scandi Sanskrit said…
Good to hear you're doing better, Nutty. 💜

@Animal Lovers: hope your animals are okay 💜, my cats are filthy right now because I can't go out to take them to the Groomers'.

IDK how I'd answer if somebody asked me if I had "shortness of breath?" (my lungs are sort of eff-ed up anyway from my autoimmune condition, before I started taking turmeric pills my ears would pop just from going up the stairs to my room).

Also, when I have an autoimmune flare-up, I get feverish, I worry sometimes when they check my temp at the door, management won't let me in my mom's apartment. But I know an autoimmune flare-up when I have one.

I got a bit paranoid/hypochondriac earlier this week until I realised (through my menstrual app) that it was just symptoms of PMS. I'm late too (probably from the stress of it all).

Just have to check myself to make sure I'm never overreacting.

It's really important to not pester doctors/nurses/hospitals over tiny symptoms, they're overworked as it is.
Magatha Mistie said…
@Scandi Sanskrit
Thought of you today as I rewatched “Gosford Park”
Our Lozza has a minor role, playing his usual louche self!!
Readying myself in case of isolation.

I’m worried about my 83 year old Mum in the UK.
She’s fit & healthy, & has my sisters caring for her,
but I’m in Australia.
I’m torn, I feel I should be there with her, but I have my
husband & kids here. No win situation.
We’ve had 3 new born babies with the virus. I don’t know anymore details. A 47 year woman has died from it too. London is our worst hit place in the UK. I’m in the countryside we have far fewer cases.

What’s worrying is the stats only show ‘confirmed’ cases, that’s people who have been tested, I’d hate to think what the real figure is. ☹️
Scandi Sanskrit said…
@Magatha Mistie:

I still need to see that “Gosford Park”! And I hope someone casts louche Lozza to play a chef because he'd be smoking hot hot🔥 in a chef's jacket! 👨🏼‍🍳👩🏻‍🍳

Thanks for teaching me the word "louche", I should write that down in my English words book.

Sorry about your no-win situation with your elderly Mother. I hope things get better for you. Somehow. 💜 Worrying messes up the immune system.
Portcitygirl said…
Anybody know of delivery services not backlogged? Unbelievable our gov't wants us to isolate, but don't bother to offer or help curbsude/delivery services. It could save thousands.
SwampWoman said…
Sounds like an opportunity to me!
MeliticusBee said…
@CatEyes and anyone who is looking to go to US grocery stores (chains anyway)
Walmart and other chains (in my area HEB, Kroger etc) are closing early and stocking overnight so "theoretically" if you go at 7 or 8am when they open - they should be stocked, or more so.

I haven't checked our stores but plan to go tomorrow morning at 7am. A local, non-chain store had stuff after they restocked but I had to find out when truck was coming and go then...it was in the middle of the day.
Portcitygirl said…
I thought so, too! Instacart, amazon and shipt arent keeping up.
Scandi Sanskrit said…
LOL I can't get groceries online now, the store shut down & stopped taking orders due to being overloaded.
Scandi Sanskrit said…
It's okay tho, I have a couple of bags of Doritos 😂😂

In better news I did manage to get some sugar for my mom's apartment, and another 2 kilos for my dad's house.

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