Coronavirus COVID-19 Thread

[Jolly_Green_Giant]

FYI, by current measures, *ONE-THIRD* of COVID-19 deaths (that we know of) are either nursing home/care home residents *or* staff at these facilities.

The one good thing that I hope comes from this is a highlight of how shitty these nursing homes are to begin with. I did a few clinicals at local nursing homes, and it was just sad. Staff weren't personable,everything smelled horrible and it wasn't a good picture thinking of my family ending up there. One of our medics told us he ran a call at a nursing home where a lady went into cardiac arrest. The nurse was doing chest compressions on the ladies stomach and had her on a nasal cannula they hooked up to the suction line. Mind you she wasn't an ER nurse but holy shit.

I bet the deaths in these facilities would be much lower if the facilities were maintained and the staff weren't miserable. I can sympathize with how difficult dealing with your geriatric nursing home patients but it doesn't justify incompetence and negligence.

Then, I'm not sure you heard about the deaths we had here in Florida during the most recent hurricanes. There were a lot of issues that came to light with nursing homes after they were put in the local spotlight. One facility lost power and didn't make the effort to reach out for help. They pretty much just let people die.

 

[Aramsolari]

The one good thing that I hope comes from this is a highlight of how shitty these nursing homes are to begin with. I did a few clinicals at local nursing homes, and it was just sad. Staff weren't personable,everything smelled horrible and it wasn't a good picture thinking of my family ending up there. One of our medics told us he ran a call at a nursing home where a lady went into cardiac arrest. The nurse was doing chest compressions on the ladies stomach and had her on a nasal cannula they hooked up to the suction line. Mind you she wasn't an ER nurse but holy shit.

I bet the deaths in these facilities would be much lower if the facilities were maintained and the staff weren't miserable. I can sympathize with how difficult dealing with your geriatric nursing home patients but it doesn't justify incompetence and negligence.

Then, I'm not sure you heard about the deaths we had here in Florida during the most recent hurricanes. There were a lot of issues that came to light with nursing homes after they were put in the local spotlight. One facility lost power and didn't make the effort to reach out for help. They pretty much just let people die.

That's horrific.

Seniors deserve dignity and respect. My folks still live in their own place and I'll be damned if they move to a nursing home anytime soon.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

Very sad news from one of our own members, O-Lefty lost his grandmother today to COVID-19.

She lived in Gunnison, CO, assisted living homes, which are getting hit hard.

Our condolences.

Lefty reminded us all to call out parents and grandparents as much as possible.

Sincerest condolences, no amount of knowing something bad is out and about can ever prepare for this and makes our eye on the Colorado charts to see what the lifting of restrictions does especially poignant.

Take care O-Lefty.

 

[Thalstan]

Honestly, I am surprised the auto insurance industry is reducing/returning money. As for health insurance while people are driving less they are not eating any healthier or living healthier lives.

Because of the way some (but not all or even most) auto insurance agencies are structured, They are required to refund excess premiums. These companies realized what would happen and are making a decision to refund now and make it part of their advertising. Other companies jumped on the bandwagon so not to be left out or be seen as profiteering. That said, indications are that auto insurance companies are saving far more than they are refunding.

 

[Thalstan]

My wife and I offer our deepest condolences @O-Lefty sorry to hear about your grandmother.

 

[August]

There have been 13 newly confirmed cases since 3:00pm yesterday.

 

[Radegast74]

Honestly, I am surprised the auto insurance industry is reducing/returning money. As for health insurance while people are driving less they are not eating any healthier or living healthier lives.

If you go back a couple pages, the news articles quoted was about how hospitals are losing money because pretty much *all* elective surgeries have been canceled...additionally, there has been a huge drop-off in other services provided at hospitals because people just don't want to go to a hospital right now. One would think if you pay for insurance for something, and then you can't get that something at all (at least for this quarter), then you should theoretically be able to recover some money.

Before I go too far down that road however, let me see if my 401(k) plans own any of the health insurance stock, that might influence my final decision!

 

[ColdDog]

Higbie: Post COVID, jobs and people will flee cities

greenwichfreepress.com

 

[ColdDog]

I assume this is fairly accurate. It's updated everyday at 4pm.

 

[ColdDog]

Assisted living in Colorado.

 

[Radegast74]

There have been 13 newly confirmed cases since 3:00pm yesterday.

With contact tracing, I would expect some fluctuations with some increases, as you are actually identifying *everybody* and not letting any cases slip through your net. Fingers crossed!

 

[ColdDog]

Residents of long-term care facilities make up more than 60 percent of Denver's fatal COVID-19 cases

The city counts at least 28 outbreaks among nursing homes, independent living facilities and senior living communities.

denverite.com

This is a little dated but still relevant. I'd assume the 1/3 number is faulty, it is much higher than that.

 

[ColdDog]

Trump on China: '100 Trade Deals' wouldn't make up for coronavirus

Trump's tweet is one of several signs in recent days that Washington may be taking an even more adversarial posture toward Beijing.

www.cnbc.com

Ouch says China.

The hackers have been caught attempting to “identify and illicitly obtain valuable intellectual property” and public-health data related to coronavirus research, said the FBI. “The potential theft of this information jeopardizes the delivery of secure, effective, and efficient treatment options.”

 

[Bambooza]

If you go back a couple pages, the news articles quoted was about how hospitals are losing money because pretty much *all* elective surgeries have been canceled...additionally, there has been a huge drop-off in other services provided at hospitals because people just don't want to go to a hospital right now. One would think if you pay for insurance for something, and then you can't get that something at all (at least for this quarter), then you should theoretically be able to recover some money.

Before I go too far down that road however, let me see if my 401(k) plans own any of the health insurance stock, that might influence my final decision!

Lots of elective surgeries are not covered by medical insurance. Lots of Cov-19 patient's medical bills are being covered by insurance. Not including all of the prescription medication still being used, medical care centers, at-home nurses, but to name a few sources of insurance expenditures. I am not trying to say medical insurance exec's are not greedy, just that the small downturn of one aspect of medical insurance payout doesn't mean they are making more money than normal. In fact, I would wager they are losing more money than normal at the moment due to the loss of premiums due to layoffs.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

Updated UK numbers for today Wednesday 13th May:

Total confirmed 229,705 with 3,242 new, total dead 33,186 with 494 new.

Todays status is bought to us by a funeral home in the UK storing 400 bodies and having to buy in refrigerator containers due to some mortuaries running out of space and the delays to funerals being arranged in lockdown.

The undertaker storing 400 bodies in Covid crisis

Deaths caused by Covid-19 have led to a shortage of space in some mortuaries and delays to funerals.

www.bbc.co.uk

The status outlook is bought to us with the observation that April deaths in care homes were 18,000 over the 5 year average but only 8,000 had been accounted for by COVID-19, with calls for the other 10,000 to be investigated and explained:

Coronavirus: PM quizzed over 'unexplained' care home deaths

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says 10,000 extra deaths in April must be accounted for, as he questions the PM.

www.bbc.co.uk

Colorado Update:

 

[Radegast74]

Oh dear!

Bloomberg - Are you a robot?

 

[Radegast74]

"India has joined the game"

Interesting, there is at least some good news for India:

The coronavirus slayer! How Kerala's rock star health minister helped save it from Covid-19

KK Shailaja has been hailed as the reason a state of 35 million people has only lost four to the virus. Here’s how the former teacher did it

www.theguardian.com

They even made a film about the Health Ministers response to a previous outbreak (nipah virus in 2018):

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38MijVTyP7s


I'll tell you what the most alarming fact is:

I didn't see any singing or dancing in the preview!

 

[Montoya]

This is concerning.

Remove NY and NJ, and the chart of new cases looks like this:

 

[ColdDog]

Remove NY and NJ, and the chart of new cases looks like this:

Testing is finally getting its legs... maybe folks who would not have been diagnosed - ie thought it was the common flu are now getting tested. An interesting graph from CO showing commercial testing.

 

[ColdDog]

Common theme in Cities - reduce the real estate footprint. I suspect NYC is going to become vacant.

Post-coronavirus, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs could look very different

The coronavirus pandemic has sparked widespread speculation that two major investment banks, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, could see vast changes in the coming months, FOX Business has learned.

www.foxbusiness.com