zeke
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Post by zeke on Mar 12, 2020 9:03:28 GMT -8
We're all going to eventually be exposed to COVID-19. ALL...OF....US. The goal right now is to slow the rate of transmission in order to keep hospitals from being overwhelmed. Some people are going to get sick, and some of them may die, but making sure that ventilators, etc. are available for people who need them will lower the total number of fatalities. The US doesn't have enough hospital beds or ventilators for the 7 million people in the US that are going to need a bed, or the 500,000 that will need a ventilator. Most ventilators are already in use by other people who need them.
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jazzmom
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Post by jazzmom on Mar 12, 2020 9:08:22 GMT -8
Just got crowdfunding requests today from small independent hotels we had patronized in Italy. I think tourism and service industries are already being hit hard. Even around home, restaurants that are generally very difficult to get reservations for are openly advertising.
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Post by Lamebeaver on Mar 12, 2020 9:21:08 GMT -8
The US doesn't have enough hospital beds or ventilators for the 7 million people in the US that are going to need a bed, or the 500,000 that will need a ventilator. Most ventilators are already in use by other people who need them. If they're all sick at the same time........ Just curious, where did the 7 million number come from?
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Post by hikingtiger on Mar 12, 2020 9:22:19 GMT -8
Somewhat. I'm taking the same precautions I do every winter when flu, etc., are more common. Cover my mouth/nose with a tissue when sneezing/coughing, then throwing that tissue away. Washing my hands, etc. Basically doing the normal sanitary things. Homeschool. I guess I could force the kids to live in a tent outside. lol Somewhat. And where I come from on this is that media coverage of the flu two winters ago was down in the noise compared to current efforts about Covid-19. We lost 61k+ people just in this country to flu that year. This seems to affect a smaller demographic than flu, so I just don't see the "panic." Sure there are vaccines for the flu, but only certain strains and we all know that the yearly vaccine is a bit of a guess as to which strains it contains.
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Post by hikingtiger on Mar 12, 2020 9:25:24 GMT -8
The greatest impact was cutting out the bat and koala from my diet. I miss that so much.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Mar 12, 2020 9:46:13 GMT -8
The greatest impact was cutting out the bat and koala from my diet. I miss that so much. Are you still eating pangolins?
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Mar 12, 2020 9:57:12 GMT -8
Just curious, where did the 7 million number come from? It's an extrapolation, built upon reports like this where the forecast is for 70 million infected. In Italy, 20% of their cases have required hospitalization, but I erred on the side of fewer, so only used 10% that would need a bed. The US has a total of 45,000 ICU beds, with an occupancy rate of 95% already, not counting any pandemic patients. If the trend holds, and about 5% of those admitted to hospitals for this disease need ICU care, we will be experiencing a catastrophic shortage of ICU beds, and hospital beds in general.
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swmtnbackpacker
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Post by swmtnbackpacker on Mar 12, 2020 10:09:50 GMT -8
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Post by Lamebeaver on Mar 12, 2020 10:17:58 GMT -8
It's an extrapolation, built upon reports like this where the forecast is for 70 million infected. Thanks Zeke. I know several hospitals have set up special areas in advance in preparation. I think the key is to slow the progress of the virus as much as possible, to try not to overwhelm these places. I hope I'm wrong, but I think this isn't going to be another Y2K.
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Post by hikingtiger on Mar 12, 2020 10:52:33 GMT -8
Are you still eating pangolins? Seriously? Those are gross.
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Post by JRinGeorgia on Mar 12, 2020 11:09:28 GMT -8
If someone knows better (please correct me if I'm wrong), we're past the point where we're trying to prevent the virus from spreading. That horse left the barn a long time ago. Depends what you mean by "prevent." If you mean "contain", then yes that horse has left the barn, probably a month ago already. But we are trying to prevent (meaning "minimize") the spread, that's exactly why schools and businesses are closing, gatherings are being canceled, etc. My daughter's university announced this morning they are extending spring break another week and then starting classes Monday 3/23 online only until at least early April. She may be home for a month or more, so my empty-nester days were short lived.
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Post by cweston on Mar 12, 2020 11:38:21 GMT -8
I think Lamebeaver has it right. Containing and slowing the spread also means that the sh*t will hit the fan at different times in different regions which puts less strain on the healthcare system than everyone being slammed at the same time.
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Post by absarokanaut on Mar 12, 2020 11:48:21 GMT -8
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bcpete
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Post by bcpete on Mar 12, 2020 14:26:11 GMT -8
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swmtnbackpacker
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Post by swmtnbackpacker on Mar 12, 2020 14:35:55 GMT -8
NCAA championships (march madness) cancelled
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