PlagueWatch 2020-23 - Coronavirus

[MChambers]

The schools thing is especially difficult. I read an essay and I can't find the link right now, but the general argument was that figuring out how to open schools as safely as possible ought to be our first priority. Keep restaurants and bars closed so that schools can open. I agreed with the author. Make opening schools a top priority. No amount of support will reach some of our most vulnerable school aged children and another semester/year of ineffective distance learning will put them so far behind they will never catch up. Figure out what to do to make things as safe as possible. Provide teachers with medical grade PPEs. Keep classes as small as possible. Get creative with learning spaces. Much as I hate to say this, maybe suspend in person music classes for now. (Or switch music programs to music appreciate in lieu of having students sing or blow into instruments. Or have an orchestra made up of only violins and drums. ) That's elementary schools. High schools are trickier but they could be done. It requires planning and thought and effort and making education the number one priority, but, it is possible, difficult but possible. I view teachers as essential employees, consequently, I think we should begin paying them more, something like hazard pay (I think there should be hazard pay for all professions deemed essential, but I digress.)

Perhaps this piece? https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlo...ls-close-bars/

[Bostondevil]

Perhaps this piece? https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlo...ls-close-bars/

No, but it's a good one making the overall same point. Thanks for posting!

[Bostondevil]

This is the kind of news I'll post in multiple places - Heading to MGH for my youngest son's MRI, rescheduled from March 19th. It we get the all clear, he's officially done with treatment and gets to drop down to only once a year MRIs (for the rest of his life). We've been waiting for this day for 13 1/2 years.

[camion]

Oddly, similar cohorts of individuals have had vastly different economic outcomes depending on where they chose to be employed. That is, a retail store and grocery store worker may hire from the same pool of candidates. Throughout this, the grocery store worker has worked with increased risks (and largely the SAME pay as I understand it) where retail store worker may have gotten increased pay (due to unemployment - of course that is ending at the end of the month). Very different outcomes based on industry. Teacher pay is very fixed as it's all negotiated and varies greatly state-to-state. In my area, the average public high schoool teacher makes six figures (and I live in a community where the per capita income is $40k, so it's not rich). The avg elementary teacher makes about $80k. Pensions are also about a 20% benefit, so many public high school teachers pull close to $150k/year by me. But I agree they'd be taking greater risk in these situations so perhaps base salary is irrelevant.

To the rest of your post, I agree wholeheartedly. If we're going to be taking risks somewhere it should be to educate our children. The social and economic impact of NOT doing so is HUGE. That doesn't mean schools shouldn't take precautions though. I believe we can minimize risk, but you can't completely remove risk. However, the rewards of opening schools is very large so that should be part of the decision making process. And frankly, if you DON'T open schools, parents are still going to find SOMEWHERE to take their kids (especially if they're both working) so COVID spread risk to society might actually be increased given it will be a patchwork. Studies show having the same group of individuals together reduces risk/spread. Having parents have their children go to 3 different places throughout the day with three different groups is worse than going to school. You can't assume that everybody will keep their kids home with them at all times, so that should also be taken into account (i.e. what are the alternatives, and how do those compare to school).

Salaries in your area do not sem to be typical of most places in the US from what I have found. Nationwide between $45k and $50k.

Link.

08CA7182-0301-4091-BF0B-C596B0F30E05.jpg08CA7182-0301-4091-BF0B-C596B0F30E05.jpg

[jimsumner]

This is the kind of news I'll post in multiple places - Heading to MGH for my youngest son's MRI, rescheduled from March 19th. It we get the all clear, he's officially done with treatment and gets to drop down to only once a year MRIs (for the rest of his life). We've been waiting for this day for 13 1/2 years.

Fingers crossed. Keep us in the loop.

[Bluedog]

Salaries in your area do not sem to be typical of most places in the US from what I have found. Nationwide between $45k and $50k.

Link.

08CA7182-0301-4091-BF0B-C596B0F30E05.jpg08CA7182-0301-4091-BF0B-C596B0F30E05.jpg

Yep, I agree. I wasn't trying to suggest otherwise as I stated "it varies greatly state-to-state" (and area to area for sure). Apologies for not being clear. I simply was trying to convey that it's hard to paint things with a wide brush. Regardless of pay anyways (even those getting paid quite well), we should be making teachers feel safe as best we can and have protocols in place.

[MChambers]

This is the kind of news I'll post in multiple places - Heading to MGH for my youngest son's MRI, rescheduled from March 19th. It we get the all clear, he's officially done with treatment and gets to drop down to only once a year MRIs (for the rest of his life). We've been waiting for this day for 13 1/2 years.

That would be great!

[OldPhiKap]

This is the kind of news I'll post in multiple places - Heading to MGH for my youngest son's MRI, rescheduled from March 19th. It we get the all clear, he's officially done with treatment and gets to drop down to only once a year MRIs (for the rest of his life). We've been waiting for this day for 13 1/2 years.

Best vibes your way, that would be the best news of an otherwise beastly 2020!

[MChambers]

Very sad and shocking story about indiscriminate use of Hydroxychloroquine at a nursing home in Pennsylvania: https://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...id-19-testing/

[budwom]

This is the kind of news I'll post in multiple places - Heading to MGH for my youngest son's MRI, rescheduled from March 19th. It we get the all clear, he's officially done with treatment and gets to drop down to only once a year MRIs (for the rest of his life). We've been waiting for this day for 13 1/2 years.

Most wonderful, bon voyage, we'll be thinking of you.

[Jeffrey]

This is the kind of news I'll post in multiple places - Heading to MGH for my youngest son's MRI, rescheduled from March 19th. It we get the all clear, he's officially done with treatment and gets to drop down to only once a year MRIs (for the rest of his life). We've been waiting for this day for 13 1/2 years.

This could be the best news I’ve heard since March 19th! Please report back with the great results.

[rsvman]

This is the kind of news I'll post in multiple places - Heading to MGH for my youngest son's MRI, rescheduled from March 19th. It we get the all clear, he's officially done with treatment and gets to drop down to only once a year MRIs (for the rest of his life). We've been waiting for this day for 13 1/2 years.

This is fantastic. God bless. Praying that all will be well.

[rsvman]

Very sad and shocking story about indiscriminate use of Hydroxychloroquine at a nursing home in Pennsylvania: https://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...id-19-testing/

It is behind a paywall. Can you summarize?

[mph]

This is the kind of news I'll post in multiple places - Heading to MGH for my youngest son's MRI, rescheduled from March 19th. It we get the all clear, he's officially done with treatment and gets to drop down to only once a year MRIs (for the rest of his life). We've been waiting for this day for 13 1/2 years.

Awesome! Very happy for you!

[brevity]

Very sad and shocking story about indiscriminate use of Hydroxychloroquine at a nursing home in Pennsylvania: https://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...id-19-testing/

It is behind a paywall. Can you summarize?

It's reprinted in the Anchorage Daily News without a paywall:
https://www.adn.com/nation-world/202...id-19-testing/

For more than two weeks in April, a drug regimen that included hydroxychloroquine was routinely dispensed at the struggling center, often for patients who had not been tested for COVID-19 and for those who suffered from medical conditions known to raise the risk of dangerous side effects, interviews, emails and medical notes and records obtained by The Washington Post show.

Although precise estimates vary, the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs said about 30 residents received the drug. Several nursing home staff members placed the number higher. The Chester County coroner, who reviewed the medical records for some of those who died, said at least 11 residents who had received the hydroxychloroquine treatment had not been tested for COVID-19.

[throatybeard]

The schools thing is especially difficult. I read an essay and I can't find the link right now, but the general argument was that figuring out how to open schools as safely as possible ought to be our first priority. Keep restaurants and bars closed so that schools can open. I agreed with the author. Make opening schools a top priority. No amount of support will reach some of our most vulnerable school aged children and another semester/year of ineffective distance learning will put them so far behind they will never catch up. Figure out what to do to make things as safe as possible. Provide teachers with medical grade PPEs. Keep classes as small as possible. Get creative with learning spaces. Much as I hate to say this, maybe suspend in person music classes for now. (Or switch music programs to music appreciate in lieu of having students sing or blow into instruments. Or have an orchestra made up of only violins and drums. ) That's elementary schools. High schools are trickier but they could be done. It requires planning and thought and effort and making education the number one priority, but, it is possible, difficult but possible. I view teachers as essential employees, consequently, I think we should begin paying them more, something like hazard pay (I think there should be hazard pay for all professions deemed essential, but I digress.)

They're already starting to run out of PPE in Texas and Arizona, like it's April in New York. And the massive caseload spike after reopening is just beginning. If we can't even keep nurses in PPE, where the hell is it going to come from when three to 3.5 million public school teachers need it?

[Jeffrey]

They're already starting to run out of PPE in Texas and Arizona, like it's April in New York. And the massive caseload spike after reopening is just beginning. If we can't even keep nurses in PPE, where the hell is it going to come from when three to 3.5 million public school teachers need it?

I don’t think it’s possible or a realistic solution.

[MChambers]

So projects the UW model, unless "unless governments enact strict, near-universal mask requirements."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...LAASN3VKG5FVXA

[sagegrouse]

A bit of a troublesome report. New deaths reach 994 today, the highest in four weeks. The question is, with the increase in new cases, will new deaths begin to grow.

New cases are 55 thousand, second highest of the pandemic.

[CameronDuke]

A bit of a troublesome report. New deaths reach 994 today, the highest in four weeks. The question is, with the increase in new cases, will new deaths begin to grow.

New cases are 55 thousand, second highest of the pandemic.

Ugh, pretty terrible day for the country today in our fight vs COVID-19. I hope we do better tomorrow and this doesn’t start an awful trend for us.