COVID-19 - Impact


fly

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For the most part agree with you Dave.  Silly really how people are wearing masks and for them to think they are protected is ignorant.  I have a chemical respirator that I think should be effective, only issue would be my beard does not allow for a proper seal.  Still would be far more effective than anything made of cloth I have seen people wearing.  Tennessee is likely going to pass a statewide mask mandate, the county south of us where the hospital serving this area is located just made it mandatory you wear a mask in all public places and businesses.  People just don't get it that masks protect others not you.  

Tennessee just saw another record number for a single day.  Our rural county saw its biggest single day jump for the past 24 hrs.  New hospitalizations and deaths are chugging along at a steady clip as well.

Biggest issue with this is still the unknowns. Evidently this thing has mutated again from the last strain, some physicians on news broadcasts are warning this new strain could mutate yet again turning more lethal.  Would think the mutating strains could render the potential vaccines possibly useless.

While the death rates are not extreme there is a population of people like myself that are likely susceptible to severe or life threatening complications.  At only 51 years old I shouldn't have to be concerned, but I know my health issues and I would prefer not to risk finding out.  

 

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Tennessee is not doing so well, too many people still taking this not so seriously and having no respect for your space. 

TN had another record yesterday with nearly 2500 new cases.  Deaths and hospitalizations are ticking upwards and showing no signs of slowing down.  There were 25 new deaths today alone.  News here reported last night that the area hospital had to open a new wing dedicated to covid, they had 50 beds dedicated prior, the person from the hospital being interviewed was on the brink of tears as she was asking for prayers for the hospital staff.  

Small rural county here has 158 confirmed cases with 176 pcr confirmed probable cases, only 80 people recovered.  County to the south of us the majority of positives there are just over the county line.

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44 minutes ago, Mathews XT Man said:

If Eyes are not covered too,  wearing just a mask is MOOT is it not?

Masks don't work to protect the person wearing them unless they are n95 and yes a full face shield covering eyes or goggles should also be used.

When Catrina tests her staff, she wears a full face shield over an N95 mask and wears a gown and gloves.  She is testing every Monday and Tuesday now, all employees get tested weekly.

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The numbers of positive cases are up in my area. Restaurants are open (dine in) and most businesses. It is nice not being seated right next to other people - the 6 foot rule is in effect and wish it would continue.  Schools will start this fall and kids will be required to wear masks.  I am back at the climbing gym - it's not easy climbing a rock wall with a mask on but it is what it is for now.

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4 hours ago, fly said:

Restaurants are open (dine in) and most businesses. It is nice not being seated right next to other people - the 6 foot rule is in effect and wish it would continue. 

Still wonder how the mask mandates work in places where it is being enforced by counties or states.  County south of us passed mask mandate that no business or public place may allow patrons without them wearing masks.  Obviously at a restaurant you cannot eat while wearing a mask.  Wife offered to take our family out to eat last month for my birthday and I declined.  

4 hours ago, fly said:

Schools will start this fall and kids will be required to wear masks.

So far the word here is high school and middle school students will be required to wear masks.  Elementary school was not mentioned.  Unfortunately that is a part of the issue we have with our son.  Being he is high functioning autistic and has sensory issues, we know he is not going to keep a mask on.  He has social issues as well, and is not so good with personal space.  Concerns for others as well as for him especially since Catrina along with a couple of her nurses are testing around 115 employees a week at her work, which even with ppe and all the precautions still has her concerned.  

4 hours ago, fly said:

I am back at the climbing gym 

Sounds like something I could get into.  Have lost almost 30 lbs here since this coronavirus crap started, almost to my target weight.  At 51 with the cardio issues I am having, figure the better shape I am in when I have to have my valve replaced the easier recovery will be, not to mention bmi above normal weight has been mentioned as increasing risk for more serious complications if you contract coronavirus.    

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On 7/11/2020 at 5:23 PM, wtnhunt said:

Have lost almost 30 lbs here since this coronavirus crap started

ROFL...Not sure how u did that!   Having just the OPPOSITE problem here....sure have not lost weight being home and layed off. Gal at Dr. Office laughed when I jumped on scale and I told her "Your scale is STILL BROKEN"!! It did not help we had our Annual Family picnic over the 4rth holiday weekend. Only good thing is my "Honey DO" list dont exist any longer.

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Problem we are seeing now is OUT OF TOWN vistors are coming in with it. Then calling back to inform us after they travelled here and spread it!  Thats why I like staying HOME!!   I only go out sparingly anyway, always have. Guess when you were a dairy  farmer for a good part of life, you get used to being at home all the time??

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23 minutes ago, Mathews XT Man said:

ROFL...Not sure how u did that! 

Has not been easy with the meds I am on, think they contribute to weight gain and slow metabolism with keeping heart rate down.  I had blown up to the heaviest I have ever been in my life back in March.  Decided it was time and have stuck with it.  Exercise and limited intake, cut out all drinks with sugar.  Hoping to get off some of this crap or eh I mean medicine the md's say I need.  Really need to get labs drawn, but do not want to sit in an office.    

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On 7/13/2020 at 9:45 AM, Mathews XT Man said:

Problem we are seeing now is OUT OF TOWN vistors are coming in with it.

That is what is happening here in Montana.  Being a tourist destination is a double-edged sword.  With the decline of logging and mining, the tourist industry has become a driving force in the economy.  Unfortunately, many bring more than a boost to the local economy.  This has brought about a mandatory mask requirement in several cities/towns here.  The trouble with that being that the largest outbreaks have been related to bars and weddings (receptions) where people are eating and drinking.  A highly mobile society leads to rapid disease spread.

One thing I think a little strange is that the health departments are calling it "community spread" and the tourists aren't to blame.  It had to get here somehow.  Either locals traveling to an infected area and bringing it back or the tourist, and the current rapid increase of cases coincides with the influx of tourist. 

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On 7/13/2020 at 11:15 AM, Mathews XT Man said:

my numbers are boarderline diabetic

Quit using sugar in my coffee a long time ago.  Using zero calorie sports drinks and water.  My last blood work was not with my regular dr's office, but that dr was concerned about my glucose level.  

5 hours ago, elkoholic said:

One thing I think a little strange is that the health departments are calling it "community spread" and the tourists aren't to blame.  It had to get here somehow.  Either locals traveling to an infected area and bringing it back or the tourist, and the current rapid increase of cases coincides with the influx of tourist. 

Right.  Went from not being here at all, to a few scattered cases, to now the regional hospital is at capacity and does not have staff to expand further despite having more beds available.  Not sure where people are going to be sent, Nashville and Memphis areas have been hit pretty hard.  Numbers in smaller population rural counties here are still on the rise at concerning rates.  Now 261 cases in our county of which 105 are recovered.   

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The governor here in Montana issued a directive requiring face coverings at indoor public places and large outdoor gathering for any county in Montana with four or more people known to be infected with Covid-19.  Currently that would be 36 out of 56 counties.  Personally, I am not a fan, but I will capitulate to relieve stress on the businesses that are supposed to enforce the mandate, and hopefully avoid confrontation with others.  I am scheduled to work next Monday to cover for a vacationing pharmacist and am not looking forward to 12+ hours of wearing a mask.  When working this past Monday & Tuesday, I only wore a mask when counseling a patient.  I'm beginning to think that after retiring I should not have agreed to cover for vacations or other staff shortages.

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3 hours ago, elkoholic said:

not looking forward to 12+ hours of wearing a mask

Catrina is dealing with this daily.  She has had several 12 and 14 hour days since this mess started.  She does get to take her mask off while she is in her office alone.  

They had a hospice nurse in this past week that saw a couple residents.  That nurse has no symptoms and tested positive.  Now the whole rigamarole of her having to put those people in quarantine until their test results come back.  Testing results are taking about 4 to 5 days with their lab.  That is 2 people in the past 2 weeks in her nursing home that have tested positive that had zero symptoms.  

County we are in the past few days has had at least 20 new positives each day.  Number of unrecovered people is growing a bit faster.  County I have mentioned several times where the main regional hospital is located has had 7 fatalities now.  

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Seems 2500+ new statewide daily cases and 20+ deaths a day here are becoming the new norm.  Pretty darned sad.  Metrics study I read a couple weeks ago said death rates by August could be over 100 deaths a day.  That is starting to look more possible. 

Heard a report earlier today that somewhere in Texas there were 80 some odd infants that tested positive. 

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44 minutes ago, Mathews XT Man said:

Not a mask in sight, and it is PACKED!

Catrina went to walmart here yesterday afternoon and it was pretty busy.  She said there were very few people wearing masks despite signage everywhere saying it is now mandatory.  She said the floor direction signs are totally ignored and people are not social distancing at all.  

According to data on our local news channel, the zip code in the county to the south of us where the overwhelming majority of cases are located, is a zip that is right on the county line.  A LOT of people in that area have kids in the same schools our kids go to.  

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One thing this mandatory mask order has demonstrated is the nasty, evil nature of some people.  There had been arguments between wearers and non-wearers prior, but now it has gotten to the level of pushing and shoving, along with profanity lased tirades that has carried over to parking lots and resulted in acts of vandalism and violence.  The governor issuing  an order and then saying it is up to the business owners to enforce it was just insanity set in motion.

The increasing time lapse in getting test results back has created a snag in controlling virus spread.  It appears the lab(s) is being swamped with samples and can not keep up and the turnaround time is now exceeding 14 days for asymptomatic patients who have had contact with an infected individual.  The quarantining of everyone who has had contact with an infected person is unrealistic.

I do not think that passing someone in a store or a casual meeting will result in transmission of the virus.  The exception would be if the infected person were coughing or sneezing in which case they should have stayed at home.  If in close proximity for extended periods of time, wearing a mask is not going to eliminate transmission of the virus.  Basically, if there are symptoms, e.g. coughing, sneezing, watery eyes, fever, then you should stay home.

There are several rodeos scheduled in the county over the next couple of weeks and with competitors arriving from thousands of miles away and all directions of the compass, I'm sure there will continue to be an increase in cases.  Life goes on.

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49 minutes ago, elkoholic said:

The exception would be if the infected person were coughing or sneezing in which case they should have stayed at home.  If in close proximity for extended periods of time, wearing a mask is not going to eliminate transmission of the virus.  Basically, if there are symptoms, e.g. coughing, sneezing, watery eyes, fever, then you should stay home.

So many with this are asymptomatic and that is attributing to the spread.  Catrina has had to send a lot of people home for symptoms that ended up being negative.  That is putting a strain on her staffing.  Especially when they are having to wait for the results before they can return to work.  All the positives she has had were completely asymptomatic.  She has had one cna, one housekeeper, and one hospice nurse that was under contract(not one of her employees) that have tested positive.  At least for her, the lab they are using is having a better turnaround.  They are getting results back in about 4 days.  

What is crummy is when you are doing your part staying safe distances from others in a not crowded space, and you have people come in behind you in an aisle where you have to either move or take your chances.  Last time I was in tractor supply, I was there when the doors opened and a couple guys crowded me on an aisle as if they owned the place.  Got me pretty irritated.  One cough is all it takes.  No matter whether you have an n95 mask or any other mask, if someone coughs on your face or even from behind you, the droplets can get in your eyes.   

With the stories in the news, it is obvious there are still a lot of people out there taking this as a hoax or a joke. The story that came out last week of the 30 year old that went to a covid party that ended up dying.  Sure life needs to go on, but at the same time people do need to take this seriously and not play it off. 

Of the 30 new cases in the county just south of us according to our local news website, 4 of them were school aged kids 9-17.  While that may seem a low percentage, you have to remember that kids here have been out of school since March, which has probably in some ways helped to keep the number with kids lower.  

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