The Coronavirus Thread...

[lostxn]

@lostxn

Are you working at one hospital or multiple currently?

Are you guys seeing deaths daily attributed to the virus?

Multiple.

We are intubating people daily. We have had multiple deaths but nothing anywhere close to NYC. The majority of my pts are not COVID pts. Probably 60/40 > 70/30. We actually have decreased volumes at the moment but it's starting to pick up again. The people who are coming in are typically sicker because people are 1) using better judgement about what is actually an emergency and 2) waiting longer to come in because they know they are coming to a place where we have COVID pts. It's kind of weird. It's like periods of downtime punctuated with fire drills.

One thing I will say is how grateful I am to Judge Jenkins for shutting down Dallas when he did. He did it before things got bad and as a result, I'm very hopeful that a lot of infections and deaths may be avoided. Now it seems like the City Council is scaling back his power because they want to open pay day lender businesses and the like. I don't pretend to know anything about Dallas politics but it was a unanimous vote so I'm guessing the City Counsel is wanting to throw their weight around.

Dallas was the hot spot in Texas (not surprising we're a major international hub with huge immigrant population). Since the shutdown, Houston has passed us in cases and deaths. I don't really know anything about Jenkins before all this, but as doctors, we're all super happy with him.

 

[lostxn]

Dallas County commissioners vote to limit judge Clay Jenkins’ emergency powers

Dallas County commissioners voted Tuesday to limit some of the top elected official’s emergency powers, arguing they were kept out of the loop on important...

www.dallasnews.com

 

[yimyammer]

Multiple.

We are intubating people daily. We have had multiple deaths but nothing anywhere close to NYC. The majority of my pts are not COVID pts. Probably 60/40 > 70/30. We actually have decreased volumes at the moment but it's starting to pick up again. The people who are coming in are typically sicker because people are 1) using better judgement about what is actually an emergency and 2) waiting longer to come in because they know they are coming to a place where we have COVID pts. It's kind of weird. It's like periods of downtime punctuated with fire drills.

One thing I will say is how grateful I am to Judge Jenkins for shutting down Dallas when he did. He did it before things got bad and as a result, I'm very hopeful that a lot of infections and deaths may be avoided. Now it seems like the City Council is scaling back his power because they want to open pay day lender businesses and the like. I don't pretend to know anything about Dallas politics but it was a unanimous vote so I'm guessing the City Counsel is wanting to throw their weight around.

Dallas was the hot spot in Texas (not surprising we're a major international hub with huge immigrant population). Since the shutdown, Houston has passed us in cases and deaths. I don't really know anything about Jenkins before all this, but as doctors, we're all super happy with him.

I had never heard of Jenkins either and thought it was strange we were hearing from a judge instead of the Mayor (where's he been btw, dont recall him speaking during this). Regardless, sounds like he made a good call and IIRC, I think he may have been real involved in a previous health issue but I cant remember where I read that or what it was, for some reason I recall whatever I read saying it happened in 2014 or 2015 but I'm drawing a complete blank of anything that happened in those years (but I also was completely oblivious to H1N1 so thats apparently par for the course)

 

[lostxn]

This is an interesting article. I was thinking how terrible the testing situation was. However, I am very much influenced by my own working conditions. I think we can get 5,000 tests/week in all of DFW (though that is likely a dated stat). So apparently this is not the case for every state. If you look at the stats, the states hardest hit are testing the most - with the exception of California. Apparently they have given up on testing as a strategy for containment as they have functioned so long without it. They actually are doing a good job with shelter in place in terms of limiting new cases. I just don't think that's the right approach if we ever want to open the economy back up. Many businesses are gonna want their employees tested before their return to work.

But yeah, Texas badly lags. Without a federal testing strategy, the states are left to their own and Texas is not really offering public testing. While I get we don't have a strong history of supporting public health in Texas, in this situation having the poor fast food worker with a cough unable to get tested could affect a ton of others who do have insurance. Public testing is a must IMHO.

From Texas to New York, vastly different COVID test rates

Oklahoma's positive results shot skyward with more testing. But the state still trails places like New York.

www.usatoday.com

 

[lostxn]

I had never heard of Jenkins either and thought it was strange we were hearing from a judge instead of the Mayor (where's he been btw, dont recall him speaking during this). Regardless, sounds like he made a good call and IIRC, I think he may have been real involved in a previous health issue but I cant remember where I read that or what it was, for some reason I recall whatever I read saying it happened in 2014 or 2015 but I'm drawing a complete blank of anything that happened in those years (but I also was completely oblivious to H1N1 so thats apparently par for the course)

I wish we could go back to H1N1. I rarely, rarely wore a mask. I think I got the vaccine before I go it IIRC.

I was so unafraid of that bug. It's interesting it was like 20 times less lethal than COVID. It just ended up infecting 10% of the world's population. No more deadly than the normal seasonal flu, just infected a shitload more people.

 

[NoDak]

Welp what? I'll take them everyday over Hannity, Ingraham, Limbaugh and Tucker. They like facts.

Just to be clear, by Cooper, you mean Anderson Cooper, right?

And if so... Mentioning him and facts in the same post? With a straight face?



If you want to be sure to get the facts, don't watch any of those hucksters on cable news. On either side.

 

[yimyammer]

5,000 tests/week in all of DFW

Wow, that seems really low.

Seems like we'd be a lot better off if we could somehow ramp up testing dramatically. I wish there was some kind of self test people could do at home that could be so cheap and ubiquitous, it would be like an appliance in your kitchen and adaptable for future pandemics. Would be cool if it married to your computer where it could scan your face and temp daily before you left the house so it might catch people before they exposed others.

 

[L.T. Fan]

I had never heard of Jenkins either and thought it was strange we were hearing from a judge instead of the Mayor (where's he been btw, dont recall him speaking during this). Regardless, sounds like he made a good call and IIRC, I think he may have been real involved in a previous health issue but I cant remember where I read that or what it was, for some reason I recall whatever I read saying it happened in 2014 or 2015 but I'm drawing a complete blank of anything that happened in those years (but I also was completely oblivious to H1N1 so thats apparently par for the course)

Judges have ruling authority in circumstances requiring a legality sanction. City councils do not have this authority. They can pass ordinances and rules but the difference with this situation is that it needed a legal sanction above a city councils authority and apparently this judge was in a position to issue the rules. I haven’t researched this particular incident, I’m just making a general observation.

This is really just a pissing contest if you are familiar with some of the Commissioners.

 

[Cotton]

It's not that they are down playing it. It's a joke that the Liberals would rather die than to say Trump was right. It's satire, nothing more.

And, most satire has a hint of truth to it.

 

[boozeman]

Got our first confirmed Corona case in my facility.

Now I got 900 plus associates to keep from panicking. Living the dream.

 

[mcnuttz]

Got our first confirmed Corona case in my facility.

Now I got 900 plus associates to keep from panicking. Living the dream.

Good luck with that, boozer.

Panic is around every corner these days, folks are flipping out.

 

[boozeman]

Good luck with that, boozer.

Panic is around every corner these days, folks are flipping out.

Our first few small group sessions went okay. Only have a manager and a few hourly associates that wigged out.

Actually I am comfortable with people being anxious. It is the stupid dumbasses now that keep pretending this isn't real. Those are the fools who aren't maintaining social distance and hygiene necessities. Those are the ones who worry me.

The positive case was just at his church singing at the choir on Sunday and reported to work with a fever on Monday which was caught before he got into the building since we are screening everyone.

 

[mcnuttz]

I wonder how the essential employee stuff is going to shake out, especially in industries where you're in close contact with the public who do not take social distancing seriously.

Employees in grocery stores, at least that I've noticed so far, don't have protection.

Restaurants, while serving mostly carry-out, don't have their employees wearing masks.

Most of the general public is wearing masks now.

How will employers be liable if/when they lose employees who were not given any protection?

 

[Cotton]

I wonder how the essential employee stuff is going to shake out, especially in industries where you're in close contact with the public who do not take social distancing seriously.

Employees in grocery stores, at least that I've noticed so far, don't have protection.

Restaurants, while serving mostly carry-out, don't have their employees wearing masks.

Most of the general public is wearing masks now.

How will employers be liable if/when they lose employees who were not given any protection?

Some of it isn't the businesses fault. It's hard to find the protective equipment needed in some places. I had a few of my employees that have to work a few hours each day and I tried to find gloves and masks for them. I found gloves, but there are no masks available anywhere.

 

[boozeman]

How will employers be liable if/when they lose employees who were not given any protection?

It is a good question.

It really depends on how the employer responds in terms of taking counter measures to mitigate exposure and risk from a hazard perspective. Many small businesses don't have the HR and/or legal infrastructure.

Definitely will be a changed world once or even if we emerge from this. I have a strong feeling that there will be lawsuits in the future and you will see all kinds of weird shit come out, especially if employers are not offering job protected "stay at home" unpaid leave and firing people for self-quarantine actions etc.

 

[mcnuttz]

Some of it isn't the businesses fault. It's hard to find the protective equipment needed in some places. I had a few of my employees that have to work a few hours each day and I tried to find gloves and masks for them. I found gloves, but there are no masks available anywhere.

They're making masks out of anything now, really no excuse not to be wearing something...especially if you're an essential employee who works closely with the public.

Granted, common sense should come in to play and people should not have to be told to wear something.

 

[mcnuttz]

It is a good question.

It really depends on how the employer responds in terms of taking counter measures to mitigate exposure and risk from a hazard perspective. Many small businesses don't have the HR and/or legal infrastructure.

Definitely will be a changed world once or even if we emerge from this. I have a strong feeling that there will be lawsuits in the future and you will see all kinds of weird shit come out, especially if employers are not offering job protected "stay at home" unpaid leave and firing people for self-quarantine actions etc.

I'm sure lawyers are chomping at the bit to get the ball rolling on this kind of shit.

 

[Cotton]

They're making masks out of anything now, really no excuse not to be wearing something...especially if you're an essential employee who works closely with the public.

Granted, common sense should come in to play and people should not have to be told to wear something.

Oh, they have masks now. My wife made them some. They aren't nearly as good as the N95s or anything, but they are something.

 

[mcnuttz]

I had to run in to work for a bit yesterday, so I wore an old respirator mask.

It may not have done much, but at least I felt like Bane.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Actually I am comfortable with people being anxious. It is the stupid dumbasses now that keep pretending this isn't real. Those are the fools who aren't maintaining social distance and hygiene necessities. Those are the ones who worry me.

The positive case was just at his church singing at the choir on Sunday and reported to work with a fever on Monday which was caught before he got into the building since we are screening everyone.

Yikes, that sounds like a nightmare. Isn't that exactly how those cases spread so badly in South Korea? I don't see how people don't take this more seriously.

Good luck, man.