OT: Official COVID-19 Thread

[57special]

On the one hand, some want us to go back to the way things were before the virus ASAP. On the other, some want us to continue this level of lockdown till a vaccine is available(probably 18 mos. at a minimum). I think somewhere in the middle is the way to go. No one will be happy-it's the classic half a loaf situation. Some simple steps, other not so simple.

- Eliminate handshaking as a social custom. Same with spitting-looking at you, baseball!
- Restaurants need to have appropriate space between tables.
- Large gathering (concerts, theaters, sporting events) will either be banned, or have aggressive seating restrictions. In other words, the Wild will only have 6000 per game. The Big House in MI will seat only 25,000, not 100,000, etc..
- Testing needs to be widely available, in order to ID and contain those infected at an earlier date. Is especially important in the case of Care homes for the Elderly, which are especially vulnerable right now.
- working remotely must be encouraged. I understand that many jobs like construction are hands on, but I think that they are one of the lower risk industries out there. As is, a lot of them wear masks and gloves anyway.
- I have no idea what to do with travel/public transport. Maybe make it compulsory to wear a mask on a subway/bus, and provide them for free? Being jammed together at rush hour- no bueno.
- Encourage hiking and the outdoors.
- Encourage less congestion in our cities(not expecting much traction with that, but moving out to the country is what they used to do to avoid epidemics in the past).

I'm sure that there are lots of other ideas along the same lines.

 

[SupremeNachos]

So you looked at essential places that people are REQUIRED to go to, you know, for food and drew on the conclusion that people aren't social distancing? Way to cherry pick your statistics. While I agree that not everybody is following what needs to be done, I don't think you can come out and blatantly say that people aren't social distancing. The point isn't to isolate people from any contact, the point is to reduce the amount of contact people have with others. Obviously, the greater the reduced rate the better.

I went to Hy-Vee the other day, I know shame me for not "social distancing" even though I've been cooped up in my house alone for 3-4 weeks, they're doing everything possible to reduce contact. There were specific ways you can go down aisles, check out belts were wiped down after each person, and 6 foot markers were at every checkout. To say social distancing isn't occurring is quite frankly ignorant.

Tbh I hope they keep up those distancing markers. Nothing worse than people creeping in on your personal space at the grocery store.

 

[TaLoN]

BREAKING: Minnesota partners with 6 other states to coordinate reopening economy

“We are doing everything we can to protect the people of our states and slow the spread of COVID-19, and we are eager to work together to mitigate the economic crisis this virus has caused in our region. Here in the Midwest, we are bound by our commitment to our people and the community. We recognize that our economies are all reliant on each other, and we must work together to safely reopen them so hardworking people can get back to work and businesses can get back on their feet."

“Today, we are announcing that Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky will work in close coordination to reopen our economies in a way that prioritizes our workers’ health. We look forward to working with experts and taking a fact-based, data-driven approach to reopening our economy in a way that protect families from the spread of COVID-19."

“Our number one priority when analyzing when best to reopen our economy is the health and safety of our citizens. We will make decisions based on facts, science, and recommendations from experts in health care, business, labor, and education.

According to the announcement, the governors will examine the following factors when determining when the economy should reopen:

• Sustained control of the rate of new infections and hospitalizations.
• Enhanced ability to test and trace.
• Sufficient health care capacity to handle resurgence.
• And best practices for social distancing in the workplace.

"Phasing in sectors of our economy will be most effective when we work together as a region. This doesn’t mean our economy will reopen all at once, or that every state will take the same steps at the same time. But close coordination will ensure we get this right. Over time, people will go back to work, restaurants will reopen, and things will go back to normal. We look forward to working together as one region to tackle this challenge together," the governors concluded in the news release.

University of Minnesota, Mayo Clinic ramp up COVID-19 testing, putting Gov. Tim Walz's 'moon shot' goal in reach

Gov. Tim Walz’s “moon shot” proposal for 5,000 daily COVID-19 diagnostic tests in Minnesota appears within reach after the University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic unveiled aggressive in-state solutions for a global testing shortage.

While contingent on $20 million in state funding, the U on Thursday proposed ramping up its lab capacity in Minneapolis to conduct 10,000 daily molecular tests to diagnose active infections, and 10,000 daily serological antibody tests to find people who have recovered.

Walz has called for more in-state testing to track the outbreak before he scales back the current stay-at-home order, which is scheduled to end May 4. The U should be ready then, said Dr. Timothy Schacker, the U medical school’s vice dean for research.

The two testing types work at opposite ends of the COVID-19 spectrum — with the molecular tests of nasal or throat swabs finding the active presence of the virus, and the serological tests of blood serum only finding virus-fighting antibodies after people have recovered. Walz has said both are needed to map out the severity and course of the pandemic.

Mayo Clinic’s commercial reference lab, the third largest in the country, already had capacity for 7,500 molecular diagnostic tests per day, and has been a key resource early in the pandemic. About 25,000 such tests, more than half of the 41,675 performed so far in the state, were done by Mayo.

Now the Rochester, Minn., lab is looking to increase that capacity and double the number of antibody tests — from 10,000 to 20,000 per day — which among other things could be used for surveillance of entire work sites to determine which workers have recovered and are no longer infection risks.

Officials say COVID-19 antibody testing is crucial to reopening business — but what is it?

Why are state officials so interested in doing more of these tests?
The short answer is that Minnesota officials say knowing just how many people have already been exposed to the virus will help them reopen the state more quickly.

Antibody tests have the potential to provide valuable information about exposure — but operate under the assumption that exposure to the virus brings some immunity against getting it later. Because scientists still don't know much about the new coronavirus, that’s not yet certain.

Still, state leaders say that increased antibody testing and diagnostic testing will help them make better decisions about how to reopen the economy without putting people at risk.
The Walz administration says it’s working closely with Mayo, the University of Minnesota and other health care providers around the state to make that happen.

“We’re pretty optimistic that we can significantly ramp up in the very short run, which will start to give us a lot better picture of where we are at,” Gov. Tim Walz said on a call with reporters this week.

 

[57special]

Great articles, Talon. Hopeful if the testing is indeed being ramped up as they say, and if the antibody tests are accurate. I have much more faith in the U of M and Mayo than some test that comes from from who knows where and is sold in a strip mall or anonymous office park.

Hope you are still well.

 

[P10p]

That all sounds good until its publicly announced that a player or players have tested positive and still playing, potentially infecting other players. Rightly or wrongly, a PR firestorm will come upon them if they didn't immediately shut it down. I completely get your opinion, but we live in a different world than that.

Do we have PR storms when players unknowingly play with the stomach flu??

 

[MuckOG]

Do we have PR storms when players unknowingly play with the stomach flu??

This is different and you know it. I'm not going to argue the facts of the virus because I'm no expert and I don't even really disagree with the merit of your argument. But you would have to be blind and deaf to think that the media and teams would treat a player infection of COVID like they just had the stomach flu. We live in hyper-sensitive times, especially when it comes to this pandemic. It's just the world we are living in.

And remember, the players are human also. They aren't going to want to be put in a position where they can bring the virus home to their families. And before you say that all the players will be quarantined away from their families for 2-3 months, save your breath, the NHLPA will never go for that. Selfishly, I wish they would, but can't blame them for not wanting to.

 

[P10p]

This is different and you know it. I'm not going to argue the facts of the virus because I'm no expert and I don't even really disagree with the merit of your argument. But you would have to be blind and deaf to think that the media and teams would treat a player infection of COVID like they just had the stomach flu. We live in hyper-sensitive times, especially when it comes to this pandemic. It's just the world we are living in.

And remember, the players are human also. They aren't going to want to be put in a position where they can bring the virus home to their families. And before you say that all the players will be quarantined away from their families for 2-3 months, save your breath, the NHLPA will never go for that. Selfishly, I wish they would, but can't blame them for not wanting to.

But this is my point, people are starting to realize the fatality rate is much lower than initially feared. This is great news and I'm content with the response so far.

But.. now that data shows the true numbers. This simply isn't much more fatal than MANY other illnesses that are deemed acceptable by society. Smoking, Drinking, Obesity, etc... We don't shut the economy for obesity. Even when it kills an estimated 300,000+ a year. I'm not trying to be insensitive, and I absolutely HATED the argument that i'm presenting when this first started.

But again, data is in and this just simply isn't the pandemic it was made out to be. We got lucky.

 

[57special]

I guess I have a " chicken little" view of things because I hear from my wife after just about every shift she does in the ED. We have already lost 85,000 people in two months, and are projected to lose anywhere from 120,000-150,000 by summer's end. Who knows how many more if this virus starts up again in the fall like the flu virus. That's " chicken little"? How f***ing callous can you get? I'm sure you'd be singing a different tune if you or one of yours was in an ICU with a tube shoved down your throat.

I also think hockey in July or August is going to be a joke. I will not be watching the Wild play their final two games, or whatever, even on TV, unless it is to catch a brief, sad glimpse of our captain, in case he retires. Sure as hell won't watch them in person. A TBL v STL Cup final starting in mid August? Naw... I'm good.

 

[Webster]

But this is my point, people are starting to realize the fatality rate is much lower than initially feared. This is great news and I'm content with the response so far.

But.. now that data shows the true numbers. This simply isn't much more fatal than MANY other illnesses that are deemed acceptable by society. Smoking, Drinking, Obesity, etc... We don't shut the economy for obesity. Even when it kills an estimated 300,000+ a year. I'm not trying to be insensitive, and I absolutely HATED the argument that i'm presenting when this first started.

But again, data is in and this just simply isn't the pandemic it was made out to be. We got lucky.

What a silly post. Show some respect for the victims and all those who are in the middle of this tragedy.

And when it comes to the players, it's perfectly understandable if they don't want to resume hockey right now because they are worried about their families. Many of the elderly have died because they got infected by family members who didn't even know they had the virus.

 

[thestonedkoala]

But this is my point, people are starting to realize the fatality rate is much lower than initially feared. This is great news and I'm content with the response so far.

I absolutely love this type of response; the fatality rate is much lower than initially feared, it must not be as serious as we thought. Also I have this rock that keeps away tigers. Is there any tigers around in my house? Nope, guess it works. The reason why the fatality rate is much lower than initially feared is because of the steps that states took (including shutting down certain sections of it) to contain it. Imagine if they didn't?

But.. now that data shows the true numbers. This simply isn't much more fatal than MANY other illnesses that are deemed acceptable by society. Smoking, Drinking, Obesity, etc... We don't shut the economy for obesity. Even when it kills an estimated 300,000+ a year. I'm not trying to be insensitive, and I absolutely HATED the argument that i'm presenting when this first started.

When is smoking, drinking or obesity an illness that can be caught by other people? Here's a fun fact; smoking is banned indoors due to second hand smoke and how many people were dying from it. They also have so many rules and regulations on the selling of tobacco items. Same with drinking and foods that cause obesity. But all of these are CHOICES. I don't get to pick and choose if I get Covid. Love to, but I don't think that works.

 

[AKL]

I absolutely love this type of response; the fatality rate is much lower than initially feared, it must not be as serious as we thought. Also I have this rock that keeps away tigers. Is there any tigers around in my house? Nope, guess it works. The reason why the fatality rate is much lower than initially feared is because of the steps that states took (including shutting down certain sections of it) to contain it. Imagine if they didn't?

When he says the mortality rate is lower than we initially thought, I think he’s referring to the idea that far more people than we think have already had it, so your point about shutting down is moot. If you have 1,000 confirmed cases with symptoms, and 20 people have died, but you also have an extra 10,000 unconfirmed cases (which some of the studies suggest could be plausible) with no symptoms, but still only 20 deaths, your death rate drops drastically.

 

[P10p]

I absolutely love this type of response; the fatality rate is much lower than initially feared, it must not be as serious as we thought. Also I have this rock that keeps away tigers. Is there any tigers around in my house? Nope, guess it works. The reason why the fatality rate is much lower than initially feared is because of the steps that states took (including shutting down certain sections of it) to contain it. Imagine if they didn't?



When is smoking, drinking or obesity an illness that can be caught by other people? Here's a fun fact; smoking is banned indoors due to second hand smoke and how many people were dying from it. They also have so many rules and regulations on the selling of tobacco items. Same with drinking and foods that cause obesity. But all of these are CHOICES. I don't get to pick and choose if I get Covid. Love to, but I don't think that works.

Cigarettes are literally addictive poison with zero benefits. If it was really about lives, why do you accept that cigarettes are responsible for about over 500,000 deaths a year in the USA alone. Yet you don't hear a peep.

I'm not saying there wasn't a real danger with covid, all I'm saying is it is not as fatal as it was initially feared. This is data driven so you can talk about god dam "tigers and rocks" all you want like you know what you're talking about. The death rate isn't affected by lock down measures because 5% of a population is still 5% no matter if they're lock downed or not.

 

[P10p]

And many non covid deaths are being labelled as covid deaths in the data so the actual fatality rate is realistically much less then the 5%.

 

[MuckOG]

The truth is always somewhere in the middle. While it's true that the COVID virus is not as deadly as the "Black Plague", it's certainly more deadly than the seasonal flu. I think we can all agree that much.

And while the mortality rate is less than 1%, don't be deceived into thinking that's a small number of people that will die. If 70% of Americans become infected and the mortality rate is .5%, that equates to over 1.2 million US citizens dying. If you feel that .5% is too high, .3% equates to over 735,000 dead Americans. So no matter how you slice it, a lot of Americans will die from this disease over the next year.

I do agree with others that we need to begin opening things up...but we can't do it so fast that we overwhelm the health care system....and when we do open up, I would hope that we as Americans act like grown-ups and don't throw a fit if stores require us to wear masks....it's the least we can do to help protect our fellow citizens and help get our country back on its footing.

 

[Mickey the mouse]

Federal Govt Stop paying the hospitals and the states for every supposed covid patient period.

2 gang bangers got killed around detroit ( I think ) and they were considered covid deaths ......... Complete scam by hospitals

 

[DeagleJenkins]

Federal Govt Stop paying the hospitals and the states for every supposed covid patient period.

2 gang bangers got killed around detroit ( I think ) and they were considered covid deaths ......... Complete scam by hospitals

agreed, saw a report last night that they get extra money for Covid patients.

 

[TaLoN]

Federal Govt Stop paying the hospitals and the states for every supposed covid patient period.

2 gang bangers got killed around detroit ( I think ) and they were considered covid deaths ......... Complete scam by hospitals

Source?

There has to be reliable data to back up that COVID-19 death claim, otherwise it's fraud. This stuff IS reviewed, they can't just make such claims without evidence backing up the cause of death.

Everything I've read says that yes, hospitals get paid more by medicare for COVID-19 deaths, but there is no evidence of fraud taking place.

Fact check: Medicare pays hospitals more money for COVID-19 patients

Ask FactCheck weighed in April 21: "The figures cited by Jensen generally square with estimated Medicare payments for COVID-19 hospitalizations, based on average Medicare payments for patients with similar diagnoses."
Ask FactCheck reporter Angelo Fichera, who interviewed Jensen, noted, "Jensen said he did not think that hospitals were intentionally misclassifying cases for financial reasons. But that’s how his comments have been widely interpreted and paraded on social media."

Ask FactCheck's conclusion: "Recent legislation pays hospitals higher Medicare rates for COVID-19 patients and treatment, but there is no evidence of fraudulent reporting."

Julie Aultman, a member of the editorial board of the American Medical Association’s Journal of Ethics, told PolitiFact it is “very unlikely that physicians or hospitals will falsify data or be motivated by money to do so.”

 

[Minnewildsota]

The truth is always somewhere in the middle. While it's true that the COVID virus is not as deadly as the "Black Plague", it's certainly more deadly than the seasonal flu. I think we can all agree that much.

And while the mortality rate is less than 1%, don't be deceived into thinking that's a small number of people that will die. If 70% of Americans become infected and the mortality rate is .5%, that equates to over 1.2 million US citizens dying. If you feel that .5% is too high, .3% equates to over 735,000 dead Americans. So no matter how you slice it, a lot of Americans will die from this disease over the next year.

I do agree with others that we need to begin opening things up...but we can't do it so fast that we overwhelm the health care system....and when we do open up, I would hope that we as Americans act like grown-ups and don't throw a fit if stores require us to wear masks....it's the least we can do to help protect our fellow citizens and help get our country back on its footing.

This was exactly the reason governmental bodies took the actions they did. First, they weren't entirely sure what the mortality rate of the virus is/was. Secondly, we weren't sure of what the R-0 was. The steps were taken to prevent our healthcare system from being overrun, which would ultimately cause more deaths. Many that would have been unnecessary.

Think about it the other way, if the government had done nothing and the mortality rate was what was predicted, people would have been called for heads. If I recall correctly, the initial predictions for mortality rate was anywhere from 2-5%. This would have equated to 6,564,000-16,430,000 deaths.

 

[TaLoN]

This graph puts things in perspective...

 

[Jesus comma Brodin]

Hope everyone is healthy and safe. Since the beginning of 2016, I have flown nearly 750,000 miles. I haven't flown since March 12th and I am missing being on an airplane. This is the longest I have spent in the states in nearly 5 years. Do not like.

 

[Minnesnota]

Hope everyone is healthy and safe. Since the beginning of 2016, I have flown nearly 750,000 miles. I haven't flown since March 12th and I am missing being on an airplane. This is the longest I have spent in the states in nearly 5 years. Do not like.

I'm holed up in my Chicago apartment getting fat. I'm used to the travel helping me stave off the lbs as I approach my 30's.

 

[Dee Oh Cee]

Just saying it makes me sound like an asshole but I'm fortunate that golf is something I enjoy. It's allowed me to not think about things (besides playing terrible) beyond the course, at least for a few hours. I suspect anglers get some of that same feeling out on the water. Hope everyone is doing as well as they can be.

 

[Jesus comma Brodin]

I'm holed up in my Chicago apartment getting fat. I'm used to the travel helping me stave off the lbs as I approach my 30's.

I am 6 months away from 30 myself, and I am in the same boat with the travel helping me. After months of this, I am fairly certain I consist of at least 33% Hamm's.

 

[57special]

We are fortunate that the Twin cities have some nice, inexpensive public golf courses. I actually prefer them to the fancier variety.. Grew up playing on 9 hole country courses, though I did caddy at a really nice 18 hole course, though it was very old school, so you could still walk it comfortably.

 

[SupremeNachos]

Just saying it makes me sound like an asshole but I'm fortunate that golf is something I enjoy. It's allowed me to not think about things (besides playing terrible) beyond the course, at least for a few hours. I suspect anglers get some of that same feeling out on the water. Hope everyone is doing as well as they can be.

Nothing to feel bad about. As long as you're following the distance and sanitizing rules go enjoy a safe leisurely activity. I'm planning on going fishing this weekend (weather permitting) and I hope everyone is just safe when piloting their boats on the water.

Anglers and Golfers both don't like to be disturbed when out doing their thing. I know for fishing it is one of the unwritten rules that you don't crowd someone else's spot without asking first. Have to think golf has similar rules as well.