Coronavirus spreads. But don't panic! (topical thread)

[skyking]

They have faster generations than us. Left unchecked, they will preserve the deadliest strains and the asymptomatic strains will be dead. Where did I get that? Oh yeah, Biology and ToE, just a theory as they say.

The evolutionary pressure is to replicate successfully. That involves a balance between symptoms being stronger (presumably causing e.g. more sneezing to transmit to other hosts) and being not too strong (so that hosts die before they can gestate more viruses to transmit). It is common for early generations to be more virulent than later ones, and the "ansymptomatic" versions aren't necessarily selected out if transmissibility is still high, which it appears to be.

Hard to predict these things with any certainty, but the 1918 pandemic struck in the spring too, and returned in the fall, MUCH worse, and that's when most of the deaths happened. Since reopening is more driven by economic pressures than rationally managed health priorities, we are ripe for a repeat of that even absent much adaptation by the virus.

Like others here I am prepping for more economic and biological mayhem. I cleared out the cellar cubby under the stairwell and had a 5 cu ft chest freezer delivered in there and Monday the electrician comes to put in a 20 amp dedicated circuit for it and fix a couple of cellar light fixtures. That way we can freeze more meat and bread and vegetables. We already have some freezable / spoilable food and supplies in the cellar as it's a climate controlled area, and lots of TP and other stuff that can survive the attic, up near the attic trap door for easier access. We have enough masks and hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes to last us a long time. Once the new freezer is fully stocked, I'll feel in much better shape for the next of what I expect will be several waves of this pandemic -- plus the associated civil unrest, already underway even in our small city and relatively tame but could get much worse when there are even more hangry, unemployed people.

no need for a 20 amp dedicated circuit for a chest freezer.
Do it if you wish or simply have no power, but you can have it on any regular 15 amp circuit and share that circuit with other light loads.
I ran both my fridge and chest freezer at the same time on my 2000 watt Honda, and it was down in eco-idle.
If you like I can put my freezer on my kill-a-watt meter and give you accurate numbers. It is an older Sears 10 cubic foot.

https://www.hunker.com/13408418/how-many...er-require

[Dānu]

They have faster generations than us. Left unchecked, they will preserve the deadliest strains and the asymptomatic strains will be dead. Where did I get that? Oh yeah, Biology and ToE, just a theory as they say.

The evolutionary pressure is to replicate successfully. That involves a balance between symptoms being stronger (presumably causing e.g. more sneezing to transmit to other hosts) and being not too strong (so that hosts die before they can gestate more viruses to transmit). It is common for early generations to be more virulent than later ones, and the "ansymptomatic" versions aren't necessarily selected out if transmissibility is still high, which it appears to be.

Hard to predict these things with any certainty, but the 1918 pandemic struck in the spring too, and returned in the fall, MUCH worse, and that's when most of the deaths happened. Since reopening is more driven by economic pressures than rationally managed health priorities, we are ripe for a repeat of that even absent much adaptation by the virus.

Like others here I am prepping for more economic and biological mayhem. I cleared out the cellar cubby under the stairwell and had a 5 cu ft chest freezer delivered in there and Monday the electrician comes to put in a 20 amp dedicated circuit for it and fix a couple of cellar light fixtures. That way we can freeze more meat and bread and vegetables. We already have some freezable / spoilable food and supplies in the cellar as it's a climate controlled area, and lots of TP and other stuff that can survive the attic, up near the attic trap door for easier access. We have enough masks and hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes to last us a long time. Once the new freezer is fully stocked, I'll feel in much better shape for the next of what I expect will be several waves of this pandemic -- plus the associated civil unrest, already underway even in our small city and relatively tame but could get much worse when there are even more hangry, unemployed people.

no need for a 20 amp dedicated circuit for a chest freezer.
Do it if you wish or simply have no power, but you can have it on any regular 15 amp circuit and share that circuit with other light loads.
I ran both my fridge and chest freezer at the same time on my 2000 watt Honda, and it was down in eco-idle.
If you like I can put my freezer on my kill-a-watt meter and give you accurate numbers. It is an older Sears 10 cubic foot.

https://www.hunker.com/13408418/how-many...er-require

My jaw dropped to the floor when reading the manual for my ice maker and it cautioned to use an extension cord rated for no less than 1875 watts. Needless to say, I investigated further.

[Mr Greene]

US COVID-19 survivor receives $1.1 mn hospital bill

he recovered and was discharged on May 5 to the cheers of nursing staff -- only to receive a 181-page bill totalling $1,122,501.04.

That includes: $9,736 per day for the intensive care room, nearly $409,000 for its transformation into a sterile room for 42 days, $82,000 for the use of a ventilator for 29 days, and nearly $100,000 for two days when his prognosis was life-threatening.

[M.Linoge]

US COVID-19 survivor receives $1.1 mn hospital bill

he recovered and was discharged on May 5 to the cheers of nursing staff -- only to receive a 181-page bill totalling $1,122,501.04.

That includes: $9,736 per day for the intensive care room, nearly $409,000 for its transformation into a sterile room for 42 days, $82,000 for the use of a ventilator for 29 days, and nearly $100,000 for two days when his prognosis was life-threatening.

This gives context to the people I've heard/read on the web saying if they catch this thing, or any other serious illness, they intend to blow their own brains out.
It's that, die from the illness, go to jail, or wither away on the street.

[Dom]

US COVID-19 survivor receives $1.1 mn hospital bill

he recovered and was discharged on May 5 to the cheers of nursing staff -- only to receive a 181-page bill totalling $1,122,501.04.

That includes: $9,736 per day for the intensive care room, nearly $409,000 for its transformation into a sterile room for 42 days, $82,000 for the use of a ventilator for 29 days, and nearly $100,000 for two days when his prognosis was life-threatening.

This gives context to the people I've heard/read on the web saying if they catch this thing, or any other serious illness, they intend to blow their own brains out.
It's that, die from the illness, go to jail, or wither away on the street.

That's me, except that blowing my brain out would be too messy. I'll die anyway if I catch this, so I might as well save myself the suffering. I wonder how many of us die quietly at home and don't get counted in all those statistics.

[Dānu]

US COVID-19 survivor receives $1.1 mn hospital bill

he recovered and was discharged on May 5 to the cheers of nursing staff -- only to receive a 181-page bill totalling $1,122,501.04.

That includes: $9,736 per day for the intensive care room, nearly $409,000 for its transformation into a sterile room for 42 days, $82,000 for the use of a ventilator for 29 days, and nearly $100,000 for two days when his prognosis was life-threatening.

This gives context to the people I've heard/read on the web saying if they catch this thing, or any other serious illness, they intend to blow their own brains out.
It's that, die from the illness, go to jail, or wither away on the street.

[Thumpalumpacus]

US COVID-19 survivor receives $1.1 mn hospital bill

he recovered and was discharged on May 5 to the cheers of nursing staff -- only to receive a 181-page bill totalling $1,122,501.04.

That includes: $9,736 per day for the intensive care room, nearly $409,000 for its transformation into a sterile room for 42 days, $82,000 for the use of a ventilator for 29 days, and nearly $100,000 for two days when his prognosis was life-threatening.

Hey, speaking of a regulated transfer of wealth ... Why don't conservatives bitch about this?

Oh, that's right: donors.

[Thumpalumpacus]

US COVID-19 survivor receives $1.1 mn hospital bill

This gives context to the people I've heard/read on the web saying if they catch this thing, or any other serious illness, they intend to blow their own brains out.
It's that, die from the illness, go to jail, or wither away on the street.

Very fitting, the song is about an ass-fucking anyway.

[Alan V]

US COVID-19 survivor receives $1.1 mn hospital bill

he recovered and was discharged on May 5 to the cheers of nursing staff -- only to receive a 181-page bill totalling $1,122,501.04.

That includes: $9,736 per day for the intensive care room, nearly $409,000 for its transformation into a sterile room for 42 days, $82,000 for the use of a ventilator for 29 days, and nearly $100,000 for two days when his prognosis was life-threatening.

Making all that money was why the nursing staff was cheering. 

Seriously though, it's that kind of information which makes me think I would just stay home and tough it out if I caught covid-19.  I would be happier at home anyway.

[skyking]

you do that until you can't breathe. Nobody wants to go to a hospital.

[abaris]

US COVID-19 survivor receives $1.1 mn hospital bill

he recovered and was discharged on May 5 to the cheers of nursing staff -- only to receive a 181-page bill totalling $1,122,501.04.

That includes: $9,736 per day for the intensive care room, nearly $409,000 for its transformation into a sterile room for 42 days, $82,000 for the use of a ventilator for 29 days, and nearly $100,000 for two days when his prognosis was life-threatening.

This gives context to the people I've heard/read on the web saying if they catch this thing, or any other serious illness, they intend to blow their own brains out.
It's that, die from the illness, go to jail, or wither away on the street.

Incredible from a European viewpoint. Your health system is entirely screwed. And it's not as if the above came as a surprise. I expected this to happen once the crisis started, and I guess it's not the only person having received such a bill. This is adding insult to injury with bankrupcy as the only option.

I wonder how many had to die because they didn't dare to see a doctor.

[skyking]

Keep in mind that bill is not real. It will be written off and discounted to a great extent. It is a bullshit number generated by our bullshit healthcare system.
My 5 hour bill for an outpatient surgery?
$125,060
What was paid?
~$23,500

[abaris]

My 5 hour bill for an outpatient surgery?
$125,060
What was paid?
~$23,500

Bad enough in my book.

[Dom]

It's not the money that keeps me from going to the hospital if I get Covid, it's that I am old and decrepit and it would kill me anyway. Not spending my last days in a hospital alone on a torture machine (those machines are horrible and can do a lot of damage). Refractory Asthma is about one of the worst conditions you can have for this virus. I'd be dead for sure. I see no point going to the hospital until there is a cure for the virus. If and when they have that and it is widely available, I may change my tune.

[Minimalist]

Don't let them give you hydroxycholoquine.  That just a rip off scheme!

[Fireball]

I probably have said it here already, but me on a ventilator is a non-starter. Asthma (well-controlled- I use my rescue inhaler probably 10 puffs a year, when I'm sick- and no other medication) and age-related kidney disease. I don't think I'd make it, and have so informed my family. As the medical community learns more, I may change my stance if there is a less-invasive treatment than the ventilator.

[Minimalist]

This is sobering.  Watch it all the way through.  Takes a minute or so.

Covid 19 starts down near the bottom.

https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/2637725/

[brewerb]

Want a more secure mask?: https://www.fixthemask.com/make-it

[skyking]

nvm

[Unsapien]

Covid has finally come to my wife's long term care home. They tested everyone again on Friday, the management got the tests back today and held an emergency meeting. They haven't said who has tested positive yet, only that it's none of the staff.

Anyway she's not going in work tomorrow and she's contacting her doctor to talk about the risks of continuing to work due to her immuno compromised liver ailment. She's accumulated 300 hours of sick time she can use.

Most of her colleagues have told her to just get a note from her doctor and take 14 days off anyway.

There are some nervous people at work that may not want me coming to work either. We'll see when this gets into the news.

It might be one of the doctors that does regular visits to the home and not a resident, if that's truth then we should be okay, it's the waiting for them to tell us that's a pain in the ass. It may also be one of the few family members that have still been allowed into the building against provincial orders in which case someone's in deep shit.

[Fireball]

Covid has finally come to my wife's long term care home. They tested everyone again on Friday, the management got the tests back today and held an emergency meeting. They haven't said who has tested positive yet, only that it's none of the staff.

Anyway she's not going in work tomorrow and she's contacting her doctor to talk about the risks of continuing to work due to her immuno compromised liver ailment. She's accumulated 300 hours of sick time she can use.

Most of her colleagues have told her to just get a note from her doctor and take 14 days off anyway.

There are some nervous people at work that may not want me coming to work either. We'll see when this gets into the news.

It might be one of the doctors that does regular visits to the home and not a resident, if that's truth then we should be okay, it's the waiting for them to tell us that's a pain in the ass. It may also be one of the few family members that have still been allowed into the building against provincial orders in which case someone's in deep shit.

I hope it all works out OK for you guys. This whole pandemic thing is ruining people's lives in more ways than one.

[Deesse23]

US COVID-19 survivor receives $1.1 mn hospital bill

This gives context to the people I've heard/read on the web saying if they catch this thing, or any other serious illness, they intend to blow their own brains out.
It's that, die from the illness, go to jail, or wither away on the street.

Incredible from a European viewpoint. Your health system is entirely screwed. And it's not as if the above came as a surprise. I expected this to happen once the crisis started, and I guess it's not the only person having received such a bill. This is adding insult to injury with bankrupcy as the only option.

I wonder how many had to die because they didn't dare to see a doctor.

Writing such a bill to somebody who just, barely, survived, is frivolus. This is obscene.
This is the result when you treat medicine like a business (like any other).

[Deesse23]

This is sobering.  Watch it all the way through.  Takes a minute or so.

Covid 19 starts down near the bottom.

https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/2637725/

Malaria!

thank god its only killing (non white) people in shithole countries.

[c172]

https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/coron...distancing

USF professor says Hillsborough (county. It contains Tampa, across the bay from St. Petersburg and Clearwater, the area I lived near) may see 13,000 to 18,000 new COVID-19 cases a day if people ignore social distancing, don't wear masks.

[LastPoet]

Maybe you're not the best advocate of the path you recommend, pops.  I simply pointed out the alternatives and relative merits.  But hey, don't let that stand in the way of your arrogance and judgementalism.

That is true, I am not the best advocate, as I in the past trifled with ya. I don't think bringuing up the past would be beneficial with the discussion at hand. My opinion stands and I am not ashamed for my past. My arrogance and judgementalism? Well it's for the readers to decide..