The Covid-19 Thread: News, Preparation Tips, Etc

ThirdEyeBeauty

Well-Known Member
Finally!!



I heard Dr. Richard Cheng has a you tube channel that explains his method. I will give a listen.
I hope medical schools have changed significantly and include an entire course on the benefits of nutrition on health and the use of supplements as alternative and supportive treatment. It is a darn shame that people outside of medicine are more open to using it. Healthcare is too dismissive of these things to aid in improving health. I imagine many people have died who didn't have to. Also physician6 should not be made to fear giving this type of advice especially at a time like this when there is no good alternative. :mad:
 

TrulyBlessed

Well-Known Member
Anyone watching the mayor of Las Vegas lie and obfuscate on CNN with Anderson Cooper?

ETA: Anderson just told her that her statement was ignorant. Lol.

ETA2: She was talking nonsense and he took his glasses off and wiped his eyes. I think the mayor might be drunk or high. Lol.

ETA3: She basically said that it is not her job to worry about testing people, it was up to the employers. She told Anderson that he was alarmist.



Ridiculous. She’s giving me crazy vibes and not just because of what’s coming out of her mouth.


 
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BrownSkinPoppin

formerly NaturallyBri87
I'm so upset right now. I live in Atlanta and just got an email from LA fitness saying they're opening their clubs on May 1st and will start charging our cards again. I'm pissed because I pay an extra 160 for personal training and ain't no way I'm going back to the gym and I'm definitely not meeting with my trainer who meets with other people.

I can't believe this. People need to save all the money they can right now.
 
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lavaflow99

In search of the next vacation
Agreed----I wouldn't trust ANY antibody test right now or in the fall when the cold and flu season comes. Pretty much most colds are some coronavirus or rhinovirus. Where I live, we got our first FLU hospitalizations in August. AUGUST when the weather is still in the 90's in my part of FL! It takes a LONG time to validate these things and I'm sure this little bugger has mutated. Thats what happens when you don't have people with credentials running the agencies.


It has.

https://www.newsweek.com/sars-cov-2-coronavirus-mutate-study-china-1499503

CORONAVIRUS HAS ACQUIRED MUTATIONS THAT COULD 'SUBSTANTIALLY' CHANGE ITS ABILITY TO CAUSE DISEASE
BY HANNAH OSBORNE ON 4/22/20 AT 11:43 AM EDT




The new coronavirus has developed mutations with the potential to "significantly" change the way it causes disease, a team from China has found. Researchers identified 33 mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 virus across 11 patient-derived isolates, 19 of which they say are new.

The study, which appears on the pre-print website medRxiv.org, has not been peer-reviewed to evaluate the methods and findings. As such, the conclusions should be regarded with caution. However, the findings appear to fit with other research into mutations to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Understanding how the coronavirus might have mutated and if it will do so in the future is important to comprehending how it has spread and will do so in the future, as well as having implications for vaccine development.

The team, led by Hangping Yao, from the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, China, sequenced the genomes of 11 strains of the virus from patients who were infected early on in the pandemic. They also assessed the level of virulence—its ability to produce disease—of each strain using laboratory tests.


Findings showed a number of mutations to the virus, including those that could make some strains more deadly. They found disease severity was linked to mutations in certain strains. They found there was "significant variation" between different isolates in terms of how it invades host cells—known as its cytopathic effect (CPE)—and the viral load.

"We provide direct evidence that the SARS-CoV-2 has acquired mutations capable of substantially changing its pathogenicity," they wrote.
Globally, there have been over 2.5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, with almost 180,000 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. It has now spread to 185 countries and regions, reaching every continent except Antarctica. The worst affected country is the U.S., with over 825,000 of the known cases.

The team's findings showed there was a 270-fold difference between some of the strains in terms of viral load and CPE. ''The observed mutations in our study, and possibly in the viral isolates collected around the world, can significantly impact the pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2," they wrote.


Yong Gia, from the Murdoch University in Perth, Australia, who was not involved in the study but is also researching SARS-CoV-2 and its potential mutations, said the latest findings "represent a significant contribution to our understanding of COVID-19."

He told Newsweek there are still many unanswered questions about the virus, and any findings or data should be valued. "Previously, scientists believed that [SARS-CoV-2] tends to mutate at a low rate, and suggested that we may not need to worry too much about vaccine development. The current study would make people rethink this. In fact, as the virus continues spreading and infecting a large population of people, the number of mutations would still accumulate to a high level, despite the low mutation rate."

Gia said it was not surprising that new mutations had been identified in the 11 strains. What he did find interesting was how much virulence varied between strains. He said small mutations would not necessarily mean vaccines or drugs to treat the virus were ineffective. "The possibility of a single or several point mutations making vaccines futile is generally low," he said.

The study is limited in that the team did not explain how the mutations may have led to the changes in virulence, he said.

Lisa Ng, Professor of Viral Immunology at the U.K.'s University of Liverpool, who was also not involved in the study, said the findings were interesting but preliminary. "It is not uncommon for viruses to mutate," she told Newsweek. "Some mutations have no impact on the disease phenotype, although it is important for vaccine developers to be on top of the game in catching any changes. For this study, it would be interesting to link the mutations with the clinical outcome of the patients that the various isolates were taken from."
 

lavaflow99

In search of the next vacation
I'm so upset right now. I live in Atlanta and just got an email from LA fitness saying they're opening their clubs on May 1st and will start charging our cards again. I'm pissed because I pay an extra 160 for personal training and ain't no way I'm going back to the gym and I'm definitely not meeting with my trainer who meets with other people.

I can't believe this. People need to save all the money they can right now.

Can you cancel your membership?
 

BrownSkinPoppin

formerly NaturallyBri87
Can you cancel your membership?

The only reason I feel like that might not be an option is because I signed a 12 month personal training contract. So I have about 10 months left. But I hope they will consider the circumstances we're living under and allow people to break their contracts.

They're prematurely opening these clubs and this definitely affects how safe they will be. It will be a while before I feel comfortable going back.
 

Lute

Well-Known Member
So, I just watched the Anderson Cooper Segment with the Las Vegas Mayor. Something does not feel right. She's too comfortable. Will she walk among the people or hide in her comfortable abode until this pass? Is she getting paid to keep the shops and stores open?

She straight up don't give a fudge?
 
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Transformer

Well-Known Member
So DD works at a high end private rehab hospital- think 5k a day pricing. Patient staff ratio is about 4/1. Turnover amongst staff Is virtually zero because of the high pay and exceptional benefits. She’s been at this location for two years and not a single staff member has left. For the Holiday Party they arranged and paid for private Ubers for every single employee from their home and back. Mgmt previously announced that they would pay employees a “premium pay” for March and April. They have no Covid cases and are very selected on whom they admit.

Wouldn’t you know it today that a member of the housekeeping staff (Hispanic) tested positive. This has thrown the entire facility in disarray.
 

Lute

Well-Known Member
Wouldn’t you know it today that a member of the housekeeping staff (Hispanic) tested positive. This has thrown the entire facility in disarray.
Wow.. Just wow. Is your DD allright?
if they had contact tracing available it would be interesting to find out how she got it. I hope the housekeeper is okay.

 

Transformer

Well-Known Member
Wow.. Just wow. Is your DD allright?
if they had contact tracing available it would be interesting to find out how she got it. I hope the housekeeper is okay.



Protocols are being developed to handle this incidence. They mentioned that everyone would be required to undergo testing now. At the start of the outbreak, they prevented visitors, staff temps taken every morning, and had PPE to include N95 masks for all employees. They also trained the staff to isolate their shoes/clothing before entering their homes in the evening. DD undresses in her laundry room every evening, sprays bottom of shoes with Lysol, throws everything in the washer, and put at least three pairs of shoes in circulation.

Then this happens. Of course now the facility must inform every patient.
 

ThirdEyeBeauty

Well-Known Member
I'm so upset right now. I live in Atlanta and just got an email from LA fitness saying they're opening their clubs on May 1st and will start charging our cards again. I'm pissed because I pay an extra 160 for personal training and ain't no way I'm going back to the gym and I'm definitely not meeting with my trainer who meets with other people.

I can't believe this. People need to save all the money they can right now.
That's fraudulent like behavior.
 

Choclatcotton

Well-Known Member
I hope medical schools have changed significantly and include an entire course on the benefits of nutrition on health and the use of supplements as alternative and supportive treatment. It is a darn shame that people outside of medicine are more open to using it. Healthcare is too dismissive of these things to aid in improving health. I imagine many people have died who didn't have to. Also physician6 should not be made to fear giving this type of advice especially at a time like this when there is no good alternative. :mad:
As raw as it is, they won't do it because it will cause the pharmaceuticals to lose money. The goal is to keep people chronically ill so that medication will keep revenue rolling in. We have to self educate and advocate for ourselves.
 

awhyley

Well-Known Member
So, I just watched the Anderson Cooper Segment with the Las Vegas Mayor. Something does not feel right. She's too comfortable. Will she walk among the people or hide in her comfortable abode until this pass? Is she getting paid to keep the shops and stores open?

She straight up don't give a fudge?

It's disturbing to see how close some of these municipalities, cities and states are to bankruptcy. Many of them can't afford to close for another day, much less another week or month. It's even worse to see how many politicians are willing to risk so many lives to get the wheels of the economy turning again. Downright scary. I'm praying for everyone who can't work from home, and have to be exposed to people on the regular.
 

Jmartjrmd

Well-Known Member
Medical doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, respiratory therapists, paramedics, medical technologists, medical researchers, dentists, and others, what are your opinion about all that is going on?
For me I couldn't be prouder of the men and women giving so much of themselves to try and save peoples lives. I wish I could use my skills to be out there.
There is good and ugly and we are seeing both right now.
But it just further exposed the ugly reality about how our government, healthcare systems and fragility of just about everything we had in place, the glaring inadequacy of it all. They weren't ready.
Hopefully it will bring about change but I doubt it. Working in a hospital shouldn't be a struggle between doing your job and putting your entire family and your existence at risk. Policies written to protect shouldn't be changed and ignored to fit the fact that they were unprepared.
People shouldn't have to pick who is more worthy of being saved. Staff shouldn't have to wear trash bags as a means to try and protect themselves. No administration should be allowed to tell employees they can't wear their own gear because it makes the hospital look bad. speaking out should get you help not a pink slip and a spot in the unemployment line.
NOBODY should have to die alone or have their final moments being fork lifted into a refrigerator truck. Bodies shouldn't have to be piled on a morgue floor because there is no space. Bus driver shouldn't have died because someone coughed. Attention seekers shouldn't be allowed to open drinks in grocery stores bragging about spreading this killer for likes and laughs. Two parent shouldn't have to remove their only baby at just 5 years old off life support. None of this should be our reality. They saw it coming and closed their eyes. Shameful.
But I also see the coming togetherness to help each other through this and that brings about hope.
We have so much more to do.
 

vevster

Well-Known Member
I hope medical schools have changed significantly and include an entire course on the benefits of nutrition on health and the use of supplements as alternative and supportive treatment. It is a darn shame that people outside of medicine are more open to using it. Healthcare is too dismissive of these things to aid in improving health. I imagine many people have died who didn't have to. Also physician6 should not be made to fear giving this type of advice especially at a time like this when there is no good alternative. :mad:
We have to educate ourselves. I cured myself of a couple of things after not getting what I needed from my physicians. They use a hammer for what a small tweak in lifestyle would cure.
 
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Ganjababy

Well-Known Member
There is sooo much going on. You need to be specific lol
Medical doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, respiratory therapists, paramedics, medical technologists, medical researchers, dentists, and others, what are your opinion about all that is going on?
 

Ganjababy

Well-Known Member
I am shocked. I naively thought these establishments would not have customers if they opened early. I guess I was wrong. I was also assuming that no one would be going to Vegas. But I may be wrong on that too.
So today in South Carolina they opened up some restaurants and retail stores.
Folks couldnt wait to get back to China Garden. Line out the door.

View attachment 458457
 

dicapr

Well-Known Member
Today feels surreal. 2 weeks ago I went into work to see people lining up applauding health care workers. Today me and my coworkers are going to work to see who is furloughed and whose hours are reduced.

No elective surgeries and COVID19 cost has caused a lot of financial issues so now we have to cut back.
 

C@ssandr@

formerly known as "keyawarren"
I am shocked. I naively thought these establishments would not have customers if they opened early. I guess I was wrong. I was also assuming that no one would be going to Vegas. But I may be wrong on that too.

Now that I know that people will be out and about as soon as they get a chance, I'm mentally prepped to stay holed up damn near until 2021. My wedding is planned for October, but I'm more than willing to reschedule.

Also, I work for a non profit that just happens to deal with health and hygeine. My org has already been through this with previous outbreaks (since we are global). So we've been WFH since Feb and my boss has made it clear that my team will be WFH for the rest of the year :look:

I am very fortunate because of my position. My job has actually been a boon to my wellbeing during this pandemic.

As a result I am aiming to help others w/o exposing myself. Maybe local food donation? I currently live in the Bronx.
 

Jmartjrmd

Well-Known Member
Today feels surreal. 2 weeks ago I went into work to see people lining up applauding health care workers. Today me and my coworkers are going to work to see who is furloughed and whose hours are reduced.

No elective surgeries and COVID19 cost has caused a lot of financial issues so now we have to cut back.
Yep I've seen a lot of travel nurses flock to NYC or other spots and now they are cancelling contracts after begging for help. Crazy!
 

Jmartjrmd

Well-Known Member
We have to educate ourselves. I cured myself of a couple of things after not getting what I needed from my physicians. They use a hammer for what a small tweak in lifestyle would cure.
True but a lot of times compliance to non pharmaceutical suggestions is a huge issue. A lot of folks could get better if they desire to do so they just don't want to myself included myself included. Not with all my issues but some that I know I can improve upon.
 

Jmartjrmd

Well-Known Member
New York City hospitals cancel temporary workers as coronavirus cases stabilize
Deena Beasley
Kristina Cooke
Published: Apr 15 at 12:25 p.m.
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By Deena Beasley and Kristina Cooke

(Reuters) - Staffing agencies, which have deployed thousands of healthcare workers in recent weeks to jobs at hospitals in New York City and other areas hit hard by the coronavirus, say some of those temporary workers are no longer needed.

The trend, coupled with a flattening in the number of New Yorkers hospitalized with coronavirus infection, reinforces the sense that New York may have reached the peak of the health crisis.

"We have had to reassign some of our travelers who were going to New York," San Diego-based staffing firm Aya Healthcare said in an emailed statement.

Demand for "travel nurses" jumped during March and early April in cities like New Orleans, and especially New York, which saw the nation's largest spike in cases of COVID-19, the deadly respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus.


But New York, which ramped up its hospital bed capacity to around 90,000, has had only about 18,000 patients hospitalized for the past several days.

"We are seeing contracts in New York get cancelled," Lindsey Scott, a spokeswoman for staffing agency Trusted Health, said in an email. "The hospitals in New York hired a ton of travelers as the crisis started to ramp up, and then either had more nurses than they needed, or in some cases, more than they could ingest into the system."

She said Trusted Health had "multiple nurses who left their families and in some cases full-time jobs," to travel to New York, only to find that they were no longer needed.

Karla Guerra, 27, an emergency room nurse from Arizona, said her contract at New York's Mount Sinai hospital system was abruptly canceled on Monday, the day she completed her onsite orientation. She had expected to earn $32,000 for eight weeks' work.

Now, she is $3,000 out of pocket for her travel and first month's rent, and is trying to find a new contract as soon as possible.

"Every day I am here I am losing money," she said. "It's disappointing because I came out here with the intention to help but unfortunately things didn’t pan out."

Mount Sinai did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Northwell Health, a 23-hospital system in New York, said it was still hiring temporary nurses, and planned to bring in about 100 next week.

Trusted Health said it was doing everything it could to redeploy canceled nurses to new contracts, particularly if they are willing to go to another state like Michigan, where job openings have surged.

CALL FOR HELP

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called last month for medical workers across the country to come to New York and help out in caring for the growing numbers of COVID-19 patients.

To date, around 93,000 medical professionals have signed up through New York's online volunteer portal, some 81,000 have had their credentials vetted and about 12,000 have been referred to hospitals, according to Cuomo spokesman Jason Conwall.

Those efforts are separate from the short-term employment contracts facilitated by agencies like Aya and Trusted Health, which routinely operate to provide hospitals with licensed professionals to fill short-term staffing needs.

Cuomo said on Tuesday the total number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the state fell for the first time since the onset of the outbreak, a sign the state at the epicenter may be at the peak of its crisis.

He said that a total of 18,697 people were hospitalized across New York, down from 18,825 a day earlier and the first tick lower since the crisis began.

U.S. deaths from the virus topped 25,300 on Tuesday, doubling in one week, according to a Reuters tally. So far this week, deaths have increased by about 7% per day on average compared with 14% last week and 30% many days in March. Cases this week are up an average of 5% per day compared with 7.8% last week and 30% per day in March.

In March, many U.S. hospitals were looking to augment their staff in preparation for a surge of coronavirus patients at the same time some healthcare workers were having to be quarantined after being exposed to the virus.

Trusted Health said at that time that nurses were being offered contracts at nearly double their typical pay rates.

(Reporting by Deena Beasley and Kristina Cooke; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Peter


 
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