Coronavirus

[Reacher]

24 minutes ago, Hoosierhoopster said:

Heard a study this morning that roughly 2/3 of colleges polled are not testing students regularly. I can say my son who is back at school is not getting tested by the school, but then he is attending class online despite being on campus, which also seems to be happening on a number of campuses so not sure how accurate the study is, but worth noting anyway. Colleges that are opening and having students attend classes should be testing with some kind of regularity, otherwise they are part of the problem.

I heard that somewhere (possibly Uof IL?) academic buildings have controlled access and students need to show recent neg. test results on their phone before entering.  

Everybody knows this virus largely spares the young and healthy so let them go to school and participate in sports (still not happening in many parts of the country) and allow students who may have vulnerabilities the option to go online and protect the older and at risk people. 80 yr old asthmatic diabetics in college towns should be the ones taking precautions.

[Reacher]

1 hour ago, tdhoosier said:

An article article about the GDC that does a good job at portraying both perspectives on this: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/519727-trump-health-official-meets-with-doctors-pushing-herd-immunity

One of the GDC's authors did clarify in the article above: 

Regardless, when broaching the subject I always come back to the following:

1. We still don't know how long immunities last. 
2. If we just wait 3-4 more months we *may* be able to start giving vaccines to the most vulnerable, which would avoid a lot of deaths and many more hospitalizations. 
3. How do we keep the most vulnerable protected? This study and other proponents just generally or theoretically say we let young people get the virus and protect the vulnerable, but how? Up until last week, I'd say that the White House was 'protected', but the virus snuck it's way in and infected the most important people in our government. I have to think that the level of protection the WH receives is going to be way, way more than my Grandma will ever receive. 

Good points. Ultimately, at risk people should be taking their own precautions- as many are. Others may refuse to do so and endanger themselves. Just like an 80 yr old refusing a flu shot. I know there are others unable to make these decisions on their own and that is where policies, like controlling access to nursing homes come into play. 

There are hundreds of people in the WH daily so I'd say the level of exposure there is much higher than what most grandmas are exposed to. 

[tdhoosier]

4 minutes ago, Reacher said:

Good points. Ultimately, at risk people should be taking their own precautions- as many are. Others may refuse to do so and endanger themselves. Just like an 80 yr old refusing a flu shot. I know there are others unable to make these decisions on their own and that is where policies, like controlling access to nursing homes come into play. 

There are hundreds of people in the WH daily so I'd say the level of exposure there is much higher than what most grandmas are exposed to. 

To your point, many are taking precautions right now, so I'm not sure how we are going to protect them more. 

Another thing that I don't quite grasp with the declaration is which lockdowns are they talking about exactly? Are they talking about us or different countries? We don't have a national lockdown so it varies greatly by area. Here in Porter County nothing is really 'locked down'; more so restricted. Kids (who chose to be) are in school, stores are open, restaurants and bars are open with restricted capacities, churches are holding services. Really the only thing that is greatly restricted are indoor gatherings, but even Sweden is restricting indoor gatherings greater than 60 people.

per their article:

Quote

Current lockdown policies are producing devastating effects on short and long-term public health. The results (to name a few) include lower childhood vaccination rates, worsening cardiovascular disease outcomes, fewer cancer screenings and deteriorating mental health – leading to greater excess mortality in years to come, with the working class and younger members of society carrying the heaviest burden. Keeping students out of school is a grave injustice. 

When I read this declaration it's like April is happening right now, but it isn't. Hospitals are back open. Doctors are seeing patients. You can get cancer screenings. 

I guess what I'm asking: is my area all that different from anybody else's now? I'm not talking about what happened back in April, I'm talking about right now. It seems like we've been doing what this declaration has recommended ever since June started. The US seems to be the poster boy for 'focused protection'. haha. And yet, we still have ways to go until we reach herd immunity without a vaccine.

Do they want more restrictions lifted? Surely I don't think they are proposing we start filling indoor stadiums, attend huge business conventions or start packing restaurants to full capacities. Are they? 

[bluegrassIU]

Cases are relatively increasing at the same rate as testing is increasing. The positive test rate has stayed fairly constant. About 4.7% right now.

https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/individual-states

[Reacher]

19 hours ago, tdhoosier said:

To your point, many are taking precautions right now, so I'm not sure how we are going to protect them more. 

Another thing that I don't quite grasp with the declaration is which lockdowns are they talking about exactly? Are they talking about us or different countries? We don't have a national lockdown so it varies greatly by area. Here in Porter County nothing is really 'locked down'; more so restricted. Kids (who chose to be) are in school, stores are open, restaurants and bars are open with restricted capacities, churches are holding services. Really the only thing that is greatly restricted are indoor gatherings, but even Sweden is restricting indoor gatherings greater than 60 people.

per their article:

When I read this declaration it's like April is happening right now, but it isn't. Hospitals are back open. Doctors are seeing patients. You can get cancer screenings. 

I guess what I'm asking: is my area all that different from anybody else's now? I'm not talking about what happened back in April, I'm talking about right now. It seems like we've been doing what this declaration has recommended ever since June started. The US seems to be the poster boy for 'focused protection'. haha. And yet, we still have ways to go until we reach herd immunity without a vaccine.

Do they want more restrictions lifted? Surely I don't think they are proposing we start filling indoor stadiums, attend huge business conventions or start packing restaurants to full capacities. Are they? 

I'd say your area is more open than others. Chicago public schools and many suburban districts are still remote only. HS sports shut down for the entire state  (https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/10/04/high-school-athletes-march-to-gov-pritzkers-house-as-they-call-for-school-sports-to-resume/). While cases may be up in some areas, hospitals have long ago got back to normal. 

I know nothing more about that declaration than you do. Just passing some news along. I'd say there is a happy medium between no fans at sporting events and full indoor stadiums. To me, allowing every third aisle at outdoor events would be prudent, actually safer than 30% capacity at indoor restaurants and churches. 

Thanks for all of your constructive, reasoned responses. I'm sorry I don't always have the time to more properly respond to them. 

[tdhoosier]

9 minutes ago, Reacher said:

I'd say your area is more open than others. Chicago public schools and many suburban districts are still remote only. HS sports shut down for the entire state  (https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/10/04/high-school-athletes-march-to-gov-pritzkers-house-as-they-call-for-school-sports-to-resume/). While cases may be up in some areas, hospitals have long ago got back to normal. 

I know nothing more about that declaration than you do. Just passing some news along. I'd say there is a happy medium between no fans at sporting events and full indoor stadiums. To me, allowing every third aisle at outdoor events would be prudent, actually safer than 30% capacity at indoor restaurants and churches. 

Thanks for all of your constructive, reasoned responses. I'm sorry I don't always have the time to more properly respond to them. 

No worries and I wasn't specifically asking you; I was just thinking out loud. Thanks for the share; I've seen the declaration come up in some news outlets I follow (specifically The Hill). Worthy of a convo. 

[5fouls]

Wall Street Journal article discusses the hypocrisy of Universities charging full tuition, while providing no classroom learning, and yet suspending or expelling students for 'gathering'.  That's an awfully expensive charge for using the library.

So, why did school administrators even invite kids to campus? 

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-coronavirus-college-scam-11601594436?fbclid=IwAR2t5SWppexr0EUH9JlIEq1zxR-3gXrPRN009hE4kFusYEbf7zY8F1h0Nx0

 

[5fouls]

Covid outbreak on mink farms in Wisconsin and Utah.  No, not with the humans, but with the animals.  That raises the question.  If humans can pass the infection on to animals, can animals, in turn, pass it on to humans?  If so, that's pretty significant.  Let's put it this way.  I would not want to be a mink farmhand right now.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/09/us/mink-covid-outbreak-trnd/index.html

[5fouls]

Indiana sets another record today with 1,945 new cases.  Yesterday, the Hoosier State had the 9th most cases among states.  

I personally think most spreading occurs at home.  But, when those that are infected leave the home, it finds a whole new group of people to infect.  

[Joe_Hoopsier]

5 hours ago, 5fouls said:

Indiana sets another record today with 1,945 new cases.  Yesterday, the Hoosier State had the 9th most cases among states.  

I personally think most spreading occurs at home.  But, when those that are infected leave the home, it finds a whole new group of people to infect.  

My Brother has been in quarantine for going on 5 weeks. He's been tested 3 times and positive all 3 times (Zero symptoms). I wonder if all 3 get reported?

[5fouls]

1 minute ago, Joe_Hoopsier said:

My Brother has been in quarantine for going on 5 weeks. He's been tested 3 times and positive all 3 times (Zero symptoms). I wonder if all 3 get reported?

I'm not 100% sure.  They report them as 'New Positive Test'.  I don't know if the 'new' label is attached to the test or teh individual.

My guess is they are reporting by test and your brother has been counted 3 times.  

[Seeking6]

20 hours ago, 5fouls said:

Indiana sets another record today with 1,945 new cases.  Yesterday, the Hoosier State had the 9th most cases among states.  

I personally think most spreading occurs at home.  But, when those that are infected leave the home, it finds a whole new group of people to infect.  

Not a surprise. I venture out 1 day a week for outside fun with a few friends. Outdoors, having beers, plenty of space,etc.....amazing what I see out there though. Take a walk on Main St in Carmel and while people have masks it's absolutely packed. This awesome weather hasn't helped in that regard. 

[Reacher]

David Nabarro, the World Health Organization’s special envoy on COVID-19, has urged world leaders to stop using lockdowns as the primary control method against the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“We in the World Health Organization do not advocate lockdowns as the primary means of control of this virus,” 

“The only time we believe a lockdown is justified is to buy you time to reorganize, regroup, rebalance your resources, protect your health workers who are exhausted, but by and large, we’d rather not do it.”

Nabarro pointed to the collateral damage that lockdowns are having worldwide, especially among poorer populations.

“Just look at what’s happened to the tourism industry, for example in the Caribbean or in the Pacific, because people aren’t taking their holidays. Look what’s happened to smallholder farmers all over the world because their markets have got dented. Look what’s happening to poverty levels. It seems that we may well have a doubling of world poverty by next year. Seems that we may well have at least a doubling of child malnutrition because children are not getting meals at school and their parents, in poor families, are not able to afford it,” Nabarro said.

“This is a terrible, ghastly global catastrophe actually,” he added. “And so we really do appeal to all world leaders: Stop using lockdown as your primary control method, develop better systems for doing it, work together and learn from each other, but remember - lockdowns just have one consequence that you must never ever belittle, and that is making poor people an awful lot poorer."

[Reacher]

Interesting look at the future milestones relating to Covid- https://www.statnews.com/feature/coronavirus/the-road-ahead-the-next-12-months-and-beyond/

[bluegrassIU]

I have been bed ridden for 2 days. Got tested today. Hope for the best!

[5fouls]

11 minutes ago, bluegrassIU said:

I have been bed ridden for 2 days. Got tested today. Hope for the best!

Praying for you Blue. 

[milehiiu]

12 minutes ago, bluegrassIU said:

I have been bed ridden for 2 days. Got tested today. Hope for the best!

I ran a fever for most of last week.  Don't think it was Covid related.  Think it was due to the heavy smoke in the Denver area due to the wild fires. Rest of the mile family impacted by the smoke as well.  At times blocking out the sun... as bad as it gets. 

Blue.... take care.  Will be praying for you.

[IUFLA]

1 hour ago, bluegrassIU said:

I have been bed ridden for 2 days. Got tested today. Hope for the best!

Hope you get good news!

[bluegrassIU]

8 minutes ago, IUFLA said:

Hope you get good news!

Have plenty of symptoms. Oddly, no fever at all. But feel like a truck ran over me.

[Billingsley99]

1 hour ago, bluegrassIU said:

I have been bed ridden for 2 days. Got tested today. Hope for the best!

Prayers your way. 

[IU Scott]

2 hours ago, bluegrassIU said:

I have been bed ridden for 2 days. Got tested today. Hope for the best!

Hope for the best and will be keeping you in my prayers

[IU Scott]

55 minutes ago, bluegrassIU said:

Have plenty of symptoms. Oddly, no fever at all. But feel like a truck ran over me.

The highest my temp got was 99.7 and the only problem was my breathing

[IU Scott]

Just saw in the news that the officials in Chicago has warned citizens not to travel to Indiana

[bluegrassIU]

7 minutes ago, IU Scott said:

Just saw in the news that the officials in Chicago has warned citizens not to travel to Indiana

Odd, Illinois' numbers are worse than Indiana in every way.

[Seeking6]

1 minute ago, IU Scott said:

Just saw in the news that the officials in Chicago has warned citizens not to travel to Indiana

And Chicago levels are the highest since May. As someone who was born and bred there I feel capable of saying this....this is one of those things that the powers at be there need to handle their own business first. Stop deflecting on the real issues at hand in their city....not just Covid-19.

I've only jumped in this thread a few times....but I do appreciate the information. I truly, truly am sorry for the 200k+ folks who have passed away. I really am. I've known 3 and lost another person I've known this afternoon to it as well. I still remain steadfast in my thought though. The jobs lost, businesses closed, family relationships destroyed because of no money, alcohol/drugs, suicides, etc.....will cause far more deaths now and in coming years than the actual virus.