NH - 55 Cases/Zero deaths
20/03/20 07:17
This whole coronavirus thing is getting tedious already. Practically everything is closed except those businesses that provide essential services like grocery stores, etc. I tweeted something last night about the fact that we're doing all of this in order to extend the shelf life of the elderly and infirm whose current shelf life is probably around 6 months. By the time we effectively kill off our economy these good folks would have died of natural causes anyway.
Like the next guy, I think it's important to do our part to help blunt this virus in its tracks by practicing social distancing, staying home and away from public places, and minimizing the amount of time we spend outside the house. Maybe we can prevent a spike in new cases and keep the hospitals and health care facilities from being runneth over by people needing ventilators when every available ventilator is already in use.
Plans are already in place to use the national stockpile of ventilators should it come to that. President Trump reported yesterday that the president of one of the nations largest cruise lines was ready to moor one or more of their ships off the coast of hotspots like New York, Los Angeles, and maybe even San Francisco in order to provide additional accommodation (hospital beds) if and when it becomes necessary. Car companies like Ford has offered to suspend the manufacture of vehicles so they can assist in the manufacturing of ventilators if needed.
There is a lot of talk about the ingenuity of the American people and the indomitable spirit we possess when it comes to fighting and defeating this virus. Vaccines are a ways off so that won't help anyone in the near term. There is some talk about certain anti-malaria drugs (Chloroquine?) that have shown tremendous promise in preliminary testing. Their use, however, has not been approved by the FDA as yet for patients battling the flu or, more specifically, this particular virus. Trump has the FDA moving quickly now to look at these so-called therapies and he wants them fast tracked if at all possible.
I say that before you put one more person on a ventilator you give them this goddamn drug and just see how things play out. What have you got to lose? There is no shortage at present of available patients that might qualify for this type of intervention so just do it. Get the protocols down and ramp up manufacture and distribution of the drug. Do it now. If this drug is as effective as they say it is, maybe we can dispense it to patients well before they show up on the doorsteps our emergency rooms and urgent care centers.
It's a little disheartening to hear stories about people getting preferential treatment when it comes to being tested and treated for this affliction. It seems that some people have more access than others due to their wealth, influence, or association with influential people. Maybe that shouldn't surprise anyone but the stories have to leave you with a burr in your saddle when it is your loved one lying on a gurney in a hospital hallway gasping for air without the aid of a ventilator while someone else is moved from the back of the line to the front of the line because of their connections.
Speaking of moral outrages, there is a story this morning in the papers about certain Senators in Washington who, having been briefed in advance about this virus hitting our shores, took the opportunity to sell their portfolios of stocks and investments. That won't sit well with the average investor who has seen their 401k's and other investments just devastated in the last week or two as the virus continues takes its toll on our economy. It just leaves a bad taste in your mouth. It's that burr in the saddle business all over again.
It's less concerning to me that they sold while others didn't have the same opportunity than what it says about their faith in our country's ability to not only weather a storm like this but to rebound and regain our footing when this is over. They are supposed to be the torchbearers and the cheerleaders for our country and not the fucking pall bearers that they now seem to be since we're looking at this in the rear view mirror. My message to their constituents is simple. Vote these mother fuckers out of office. Send them packing.
One question on everyone's mind is just how long this shutdown stuff if going to last. How long will it take for the number of newly reported cases to start to decline? Other countries peaked out after about 6 weeks I think so maybe that is what we're talking about. And what do we know about whether or not this will return with a vengeance in the fall like the Spanish Flu did in 1917? Did I mention that there is barely a mention of this virus in countries where their populations are inoculated against malaria? There's that chloroquine drug again. Maybe we'll know more in two to three weeks.
I'm glad to hear that Washington is looking at bailing out certain industries that have been hit the hardest hit during this crisis. I'm also pleased that they are considering sending checks to individuals and households to help tide them over in these difficult times. We don't need the money and we probably wouldn't qualify for it assuming they have a litmus test in place for doling out the payments. If the idea is to get the money into the hands of people who will spend it I think they can probably count us to be purchasing patriots first and foremost. Just sayin'.
I texted with one of my peeps in New York yesterday and she is working from home now. She lives in the boonies so she'll be safe assuming she doesn't contract the virus while food shopping or other. She said something about "three freezers" to me in a recent chat so maybe going to the store is an infrequent event in their household. Her hubby has a business that depends on the flow of well paying customers for his livelihood and with so many people now out of work he might welcome a government subsidy to help them through the tough times ahead.
I'm up in the middle of the night sometimes thinking about all of these things and wondering if we're ever going to get back to what passes for normal. Nancy will be joining her yoga class via video here at home this morning instead of attending an in-person class. That pretty much sums up our life these days. I'm biking as usual and I put in an extra long ride yesterday making up perhaps for the rainy day prior where I wasn't able to get out of the house. There was a lot of angst in every push of the pedal as you can well imagine. I wasn't alone out there.
We're doing our best to eat well during this crisis and I've been making salads for lunch that have been well, just outstanding. We're probably eating a little too much sugar these days but I'm staying on top of the fruits and vegetables and as far away from the carbohydrates and animal protein as best we can. I made local scallops, "mashed potatoes" using riced cauliflower, and steamed broccoli last night for dinner. I thought we might like to have a bit of swordfish but changed my mind at the last minute so went with the local scallops.
I'll put in a call to a couple more of my peeps today just to check in. The State of New York is under a State of Emergency so I want to get an update on how everyone is doing. The outrage of the day yesterday went to New York's governor who made the asinine comment, "if I can save one life this will all have been worth it." So, shutting down your entire economy to save one life is what you have in mind? It's just crazy. And I think it's going to get a lot crazier before it gets better. File that under "sad, but true."
Like the next guy, I think it's important to do our part to help blunt this virus in its tracks by practicing social distancing, staying home and away from public places, and minimizing the amount of time we spend outside the house. Maybe we can prevent a spike in new cases and keep the hospitals and health care facilities from being runneth over by people needing ventilators when every available ventilator is already in use.
Plans are already in place to use the national stockpile of ventilators should it come to that. President Trump reported yesterday that the president of one of the nations largest cruise lines was ready to moor one or more of their ships off the coast of hotspots like New York, Los Angeles, and maybe even San Francisco in order to provide additional accommodation (hospital beds) if and when it becomes necessary. Car companies like Ford has offered to suspend the manufacture of vehicles so they can assist in the manufacturing of ventilators if needed.
There is a lot of talk about the ingenuity of the American people and the indomitable spirit we possess when it comes to fighting and defeating this virus. Vaccines are a ways off so that won't help anyone in the near term. There is some talk about certain anti-malaria drugs (Chloroquine?) that have shown tremendous promise in preliminary testing. Their use, however, has not been approved by the FDA as yet for patients battling the flu or, more specifically, this particular virus. Trump has the FDA moving quickly now to look at these so-called therapies and he wants them fast tracked if at all possible.
I say that before you put one more person on a ventilator you give them this goddamn drug and just see how things play out. What have you got to lose? There is no shortage at present of available patients that might qualify for this type of intervention so just do it. Get the protocols down and ramp up manufacture and distribution of the drug. Do it now. If this drug is as effective as they say it is, maybe we can dispense it to patients well before they show up on the doorsteps our emergency rooms and urgent care centers.
It's a little disheartening to hear stories about people getting preferential treatment when it comes to being tested and treated for this affliction. It seems that some people have more access than others due to their wealth, influence, or association with influential people. Maybe that shouldn't surprise anyone but the stories have to leave you with a burr in your saddle when it is your loved one lying on a gurney in a hospital hallway gasping for air without the aid of a ventilator while someone else is moved from the back of the line to the front of the line because of their connections.
Speaking of moral outrages, there is a story this morning in the papers about certain Senators in Washington who, having been briefed in advance about this virus hitting our shores, took the opportunity to sell their portfolios of stocks and investments. That won't sit well with the average investor who has seen their 401k's and other investments just devastated in the last week or two as the virus continues takes its toll on our economy. It just leaves a bad taste in your mouth. It's that burr in the saddle business all over again.
It's less concerning to me that they sold while others didn't have the same opportunity than what it says about their faith in our country's ability to not only weather a storm like this but to rebound and regain our footing when this is over. They are supposed to be the torchbearers and the cheerleaders for our country and not the fucking pall bearers that they now seem to be since we're looking at this in the rear view mirror. My message to their constituents is simple. Vote these mother fuckers out of office. Send them packing.
One question on everyone's mind is just how long this shutdown stuff if going to last. How long will it take for the number of newly reported cases to start to decline? Other countries peaked out after about 6 weeks I think so maybe that is what we're talking about. And what do we know about whether or not this will return with a vengeance in the fall like the Spanish Flu did in 1917? Did I mention that there is barely a mention of this virus in countries where their populations are inoculated against malaria? There's that chloroquine drug again. Maybe we'll know more in two to three weeks.
I'm glad to hear that Washington is looking at bailing out certain industries that have been hit the hardest hit during this crisis. I'm also pleased that they are considering sending checks to individuals and households to help tide them over in these difficult times. We don't need the money and we probably wouldn't qualify for it assuming they have a litmus test in place for doling out the payments. If the idea is to get the money into the hands of people who will spend it I think they can probably count us to be purchasing patriots first and foremost. Just sayin'.
I texted with one of my peeps in New York yesterday and she is working from home now. She lives in the boonies so she'll be safe assuming she doesn't contract the virus while food shopping or other. She said something about "three freezers" to me in a recent chat so maybe going to the store is an infrequent event in their household. Her hubby has a business that depends on the flow of well paying customers for his livelihood and with so many people now out of work he might welcome a government subsidy to help them through the tough times ahead.
I'm up in the middle of the night sometimes thinking about all of these things and wondering if we're ever going to get back to what passes for normal. Nancy will be joining her yoga class via video here at home this morning instead of attending an in-person class. That pretty much sums up our life these days. I'm biking as usual and I put in an extra long ride yesterday making up perhaps for the rainy day prior where I wasn't able to get out of the house. There was a lot of angst in every push of the pedal as you can well imagine. I wasn't alone out there.
We're doing our best to eat well during this crisis and I've been making salads for lunch that have been well, just outstanding. We're probably eating a little too much sugar these days but I'm staying on top of the fruits and vegetables and as far away from the carbohydrates and animal protein as best we can. I made local scallops, "mashed potatoes" using riced cauliflower, and steamed broccoli last night for dinner. I thought we might like to have a bit of swordfish but changed my mind at the last minute so went with the local scallops.
I'll put in a call to a couple more of my peeps today just to check in. The State of New York is under a State of Emergency so I want to get an update on how everyone is doing. The outrage of the day yesterday went to New York's governor who made the asinine comment, "if I can save one life this will all have been worth it." So, shutting down your entire economy to save one life is what you have in mind? It's just crazy. And I think it's going to get a lot crazier before it gets better. File that under "sad, but true."