Category: Covid-19

By Monday, there had already been about two dozen people who had made appointments for the free drive-thru testing option operated by Roaring Fork Neurology in Willits, which starts today.

And that was before Dr. Brooke Allen had even advertised the new testing site which will be able to process up to 250 COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, saliva tests per day. While no physicians referral will be necessary, appointments will be required and can be made via rfvcovidtest.com.

Allen, like the testing program rolled out in the school system at the start of the month and by the city and county through the end of 2020, took advantage of unused CARES Act funding to create robust, communitywide testing at least through the end of the year.

Whatever the reason is [for testing], [its] no questions asked and at no cost to them, Allen said Monday. The state is going to run out of CARES Act money at the end of December, and we saw an opportunity to make good use of those funds.

Allens practice has already been offering testing, but this is the first time she and her team have been able to expand the service to anyone seeking it.

To that effect, Roaring Fork Neurology has been partnering with MicroGenDx, a Texas-based testing company, to fulfill its patient needs since April. So when it became clear broader testing was feasible at least through the end of the year Allen didnt see any reason to not continue the relationship.

Theyre a company that has a lot of experience with testing, and they provide the saliva PCR test with about a 48-hour turnaround time from the time a person gets a test to the time we get the result, and can share it with the client, she said. Weve had such a great experience with them since April.

MicroGen like the Los Angeles-based vendor Curative, which the Aspen School District and Pitkin County utilize in their 2020 testing programs has a contract with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. For the local provider and patient, that means no cost is passed to the patient. As long as a test falls within the medically necessary requirements outlined by the CARES Act that is, symptomatic or with a known exposure to a COVID-19 case no patient should see a bill, though an insurance company may. For those without insurance, tests are actually billed to the federal government, so long as they fit within the CARES Act parameters.

MicroGen then gives some of that money to my team, and we set up a testing site. Weve set up one at the El Jebel, which is at the Eagle County Community Center, Allen explained.

But, shes made it clear, El Jebel is hardly the only backyard available to such sites.

We have meetings later this week to set up other sites throughout the valley. Were hopeful were going to get another site in Glenwood and, really, anywhere someone thinks there could be a site with minimal red tape, she said, adding that a sometimes unassuming, would-be testing site comes with actual homeowners association fees and the like, making the implementation of such an operation not feasible.

Sometimes you get into HOA dues and HOA liability insurance issues and all this, she allowed.

Still, Allen said that shes been in close contact with Pitkin County throughout the process.

We work with Pitkin County constantly. We did a large group of testing for a presumed outbreak in Pitkin County, she said. We work with them all the time, and we had definitely said, If this [other] partnership doesnt work out, were happy to put a site in wherever you want we just need three days notice.

She added that municipalities like Pitkin County are stretched to their limit as case numbers and incident rates continue to rise, requiring additional public health restrictions. Those layers add additional responsibilities on local governments not immediately thrust on private medical practices, Allen emphasized.

Pitkin is still doing a great job, she said. Its so important for our community even though theres COVID fatigue its so important that you always wear a mask. It makes such a difference. My office has been open: we wear masks, were all together. We dont have cases here. Wearing a mask works.

Continued here:

New COVID-19 test site requires appointment but at no cost and with no questions - Aspen Daily News

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (WETM) Two employees at Kookalarocs Bar and Grill have tested positive for COVID-19 and a public exposure risk has been identified, according to the Schuyler County Public Health Department.

The business has since been closed and disinfected per NYSDOH guidelines after the employees worked multiple shifts during the time they were potentially contagious.

If you visited Kookalarocs Bar and Grill in the last 14 days, please:

Please get tested for COVID-19 and self-quarantine, even you dont have any symptoms. Schuyler County Public Health Director Deb Minor advised. By taking these steps, you can help protect the health of your friends, family, and our community. And if you do test positive for COVID-19, please answer when we call. Contact tracing is one of the most effective tools we currently have to slow the spread of the virus, but it only works when people are truthful about who they may have exposed to the virus.

Continued here:

COVID-19 exposure risk linked to Kookalarocs Bar and Grill in Watkins Glen - WETM - MyTwinTiers.com

A shorter version of this column has been published by Axios.

Exit polls show that when President Trump accused Democrats of exaggerating the gravity of the COVID -19 pandemic his supporters believed him. Trump supporters showed as they voted that they dont see COVID-19 as a very urgent problem. It leaves the Biden administration with a massive public re-education challenge in red America and among Trump supporters in every state.

+ For every voter group whites, Blacks, urban, suburban and rural voters, voters with and without college degrees about sixty percent of Biden voters said COVID-19 was a top issue driving their vote in the exit poll, which this year polled both voters who mailed in their ballots and voters who went to the polls.

+ But barely more than twenty percent of Trump voters named COVID-19 a top issue influencing their vote.

+ It was just the reverse for the economy. 8% of white Biden voters named the economy their top issue in exit polls, while 48% of white Trump voters did. An identical 8% of small town and rural Biden voters picked the economy while 48% of Trump voters did.

This matters because COVID-19 is surging and it will be exceedingly difficult to get a handle on the pandemic as long as half the adult population the folks who followed Trump are COVID-19 deniers and dissenters. We are also on the verge of seeing a vaccine become a reality. People who dont believe COVID-19 is a serious threat will likely feel less compelled to get a vaccine.

Over decades of messaging about HIV testing and treatment in our Greater Than AIDS program we have learned that there is no one-size-fits-all message. Messages need to be targeted to be effective with different groups. That means heavy use of digital media not PSAs on television. And messengers have to be credible not just famous. Real people and real life stories ring true. Messages that direct people to local resources or actions they can take to protect themselves and their families are often most effective. An important challenge is to emphasize disproportionate impact on people of color without furthering stigma or marginalization.

The Biden administration will need to convince the deniers that COVID-19 and the economy are not an either or, and that getting a handle on COVID-19 is the route to building the economy. As Trump fades from the presidency more Americans who see COVID-19 denial as fealty to Trump may come around.

SOURCE: KFF analysis of AP VoteCast, a survey of the American electorate conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago (conducted Oct. 27-Nov. 3).

Go here to read the rest:

The Exit Polls Show The Need To Confront COVID-19 Denial in Red America - Kaiser Family Foundation

While the United States flounders in its response to the coronavirus, another nation one within our own borders is faring much better.

With a mask mandate in place since spring, free drive-through testing, hospitals well-stocked with PPE, and a small army of public health officers fully supported by their chief, the Cherokee Nation has been able to curtail its Covid-19 case and death rates even as those numbers surge in surrounding Oklahoma, where the White House coronavirus task force says spread is unyielding.

Elsewhere in the U.S., tribal areas have been hit hard by the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that American Indian and Alaskan Native populations have case rates 3.5 times higher than that of white individuals. The Navajo Nation, where Covid testing, PPE, and sometimes even running water are in short supply, has seen nearly 13,000 cases and 602 deaths among its roughly 170,000 citizens. The Cherokee Nation, with about 140,000 citizens, has reported just over 4,000 cases and 33 deaths.

Its dire, but what in the world would it look like if we werent doing this work? said Lisa Pivec, senior director of public health for Cherokee Nation Health Services. Pivec leads a team that jumped into action in late February, holding coronavirus task force meetings twice a day, instituting procedures to screen thousands of employees, stockpiling PPE, protecting elders, ensuring food security, and educating residents in both English and Cherokee language. With no guidance on contact tracing available from the CDC early in the pandemic, Pivec researched the World Health Organizations Ebola response to set up tracing protocols; after the first case appeared on the reservation March 24, she made many of the contact tracing calls herself.

She said the Cherokee Nation has seen no cases of workplace transmission; Sequoyah High School, with rapid testing and masks, reopened for in-person learning this fall; and elective medical and dental procedures have been widely restored.

The tribes Covid response meets the approval of global health leaders. Its very impressive. Its a reminder of how much leadership matters and how even under difficult circumstances, with limited resources, you can make a huge difference, said Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. It fits with what Ive seen in the world. You see countries like Vietnam. Theyre not a wealthy country, but theyve been following the science and doing a great job.

If the U.S. had acted as the Cherokee Nation did, we would be doing so much better, Jha added, with tens of thousands of fewer deaths, and probably a much more robust economy.

The Cherokee Nation mounted an earlier and more aggressive response than neighboring states that have waited months and are still waiting for a national response. Pivec and other Cherokee leaders remain incredulous at the continued lack of federal leadership. Its as if Russia had invaded the U.S. and the federal government said, Every county should fend for itself, Pivec said.

A citizen of the Cherokee Nation, Pivec has stewarded the tribes public health program for nearly 30 years; in 2016, she helped the tribe become the first to be accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board. She said shes inspired by none other than Wilma Mankiller, an activist who became the nations first female principal chief in 1985.

She inspired me to stand up and say we can determine our own destiny. We can determine how we run our government, and we can determine how we respond to the coronavirus, Pivec said.

Pivec gives much credit to Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., who leads the vast, 14-county reservation larger than Connecticut, in the rolling foothills of the Ozarks in northeastern Oklahoma land Cherokee citizens were forced to walk hundreds of miles to relocate to after the Indian Removal Act of 1830. A sign with Hoskins mask-adorned face graces the entrance to Cherokee Nation headquarters, and to highlight the importance of masks, he recently approved the masking of a statue of Sequoyah saying the Cherokee statesman would have been first to mask up to protect his people.

I have never felt so much support as a public health professional, Pivec said of Hoskin. He always comes through for us. He always listens to science.

Hoskin, who says he is sure masks have saved lives and misery, implemented a mandate requiring Cherokee citizens to wear masks indoors and outdoors when around others, at the behest of his public health experts; the state of Oklahoma has yet to enact one. I admire Dr. Fauci. I feel I have several Dr. Faucis, Hoskin told STAT, referring to Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. We acknowledged early on we should defer to the expertise of our public health staff to let them do what they do best.

The proper collection of data on Native American health in the U.S. has been notoriously poor. Not so in the Cherokee Nation. Early on, tribal public health leaders created a Covid dashboard with a seven-day moving average based on one created by Jha and his former colleagues at the Harvard Global Health Institute. They track cases closely. Pivec said David Gahn, the Cherokee Nations public health medical director, has been working around the clock to figure out how best to present tribal Covid data and keep it updated. We just issued update #255, she said.

Hoskin also worked to ensure tribal health care workers would have enough PPE. It blew my mind that the wealthiest country on the planet would find itself short of PPE for its health care workers, he said. The nation has donated spare PPE to non-Native first responder agencies in Oklahoma and to the Navajo Nation. Hoskin is now using CARES Act Covid-19 emergency funding to build and retrofit facilities so Cherokee workers can manufacture PPE, including N95 masks, locally. We dont want to be at the mercy of the U.S. failure to ensure our people are safe, Hoskin said.

The mask mandate was on full display Sept. 30 when U.S. Attorney General William Barr visited Hoskin in the Cherokee Nation capital Tahlequah, just four days after hed attended, unmasked, the White House Rose Garden ceremony for now-confirmed Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett thats become notorious as a likely Covid-19 superspreader event. But in meetings with Hoskin to discuss a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling establishing that tribal citizens should be tried in tribal courts Barr wore a mask.

We have no problem enforcing our mask mandate, even on our attorney general, said Hoskin.

It was July 24 when Dion Francis, 59, first started feeling ill, even though hed been careful because of a compromised immune system. The U.S. Army veteran and retired FBI agent says what happened next exemplifies the superb pandemic response by the nations health workers.

He decided he would tough out the aches and fatigue at home. After his 19-year-old daughter started feeling sick and uncomfortable as well, the two decided to go to one of the nations drive-through testing facilities, where nurses approached the vehicle from both sides. We stuck those swabs all the way up your nasal cavities into your brain, Francis said.

They got the call two days later faster than the long wait for results in much of the U.S. at that point: Both tests had come back positive for the coronavirus.

By then, Francis and his daughter were feeling worse. Mostly concerned for his daughter, Francis told staffers from the Cherokee Nations Covid hotline that they were heading to the ER. I was hurting all over. Every part of me hurt, every joint, everything. He made it to the hospital, just barely. I parked and then something happened, recalled Francis, a former college track athlete. It all changed just like that. I could barely walk a step. I just barely made it to the door of the ER. I could barely talk. All I could say was Im sick. Almost like a cry. Some of the health workers were people Francis has known for decades. He didnt recognize any of them.

A CT scan confirmed he had pneumonia. I wasnt gasping for air, but I just didnt have enough oxygen, he said. He was placed in an isolation room at the nations W.W. Hastings Hospital, with just a window on the door like a cell, he said.

All the hospital staff were fully garbed in PPE. Not just a face mask, but a hazmat suit, everything, he said. A nurse offered him remdesivir and blood plasma from recovered patients containing Covid-19 antibodies, thinking shed have to convince him to take them because the drugs were experimental. Without hesitation, Francis said, Yes. Just put it in me. He was discharged five days later.

Whatever they did at the Indian hospital to take care of me, it worked, said Francis, calling the physicians and nurses who cared for him my heroes.

Back home, Francis quarantined for 22 days at the behest of Cherokee Nation public health workers, who called regularly to monitor him. Francis cant say enough about the quality of the health care hes received since getting infected and what an improvement it is over care he received as a youth. Francis grew up in Fort Cobb, Okla., population 634, and still recalls sitting in folding chairs, outside, all day, to be seen in this itty-bitty clinic.

Ive seen a lot of Indian Country in my lifetime, said Francis, who is a citizen of the Caddo Nation but was eligible to receive care at Cherokee Nation facilities because he is Native American. Its my opinion the Cherokee Nation is doing the best to take care of Native Americans in their area.

We dont want to be at the mercy of the U.S. failure to ensure our people are safe.

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.

While he credits the federal government for making remdesivir available, Francis said hes disappointed with leadership in his state. He followed Hoskins lead instead of state guidance earlier this year when he closed the Blackfox American Legion Post #135 he ran until July. I followed the Cherokee Nation lead to keep our veterans safe, he said. We have a huge number of Native American veterans at our post and so many of them are older.

Still recovering, Francis is staying mostly at home, following news about the virus closely, and advising people to wear a mask and not make masking a political issue. Hes still unsure how or where he was infected. Hes lost eight people he knows to the virus, including an uncle who died of Covid this weekend. While Francis entire nuclear family was infected, they are all now doing well. His daughter recovered at home; his wife had a mild case; and his son, a track athlete and member of the Oklahoma National Guard, was asymptomatic.

Francis said he feels blessed as he continues to read about high death rates in other tribal areas of the U.S., about families who have lost multiple members, and about those found dead in their homes after receiving little medical care or follow up. Native Americans, he said, have a history of not doing well with infections that originate in other continents.

Holders of history and culture, Cherokee elders are revered; the population of those for whom Cherokee is their first language is shrinking rapidly. When youre losing Cherokee speakers and artisans, youre losing more than your grandparents, said Bill John Baker, a former Cherokee Nation principal chief. Youre losing what it means to be Cherokee.

When it became clear the virus was putting older people at risk, the Cherokee Nation acted swiftly to protect them. In March, Hoskin declared a state of emergency and asked all citizens to help shield elders. The nation set up a Cherokee-language Covid hotline for first language speakers, delivered meals, and offered all citizens over 62 a $400 stipend to help with virus-related expenses. At Cherokee Nation, putting elders first is simply our way of life, Hoskin wrote in one of his alerts.

One of those first language speakers is D.J. McCarter, 79, pastor of the Elm Tree Baptist Church, where he teaches Cherokee language through song and Sunday school. McCarter has presided over the funerals of eight coronavirus victims. One was a close relative. Some were designated Cherokee National Treasures for their work in preserving Cherokee art and culture. One was skilled at making bows. Four were Cherokee first language speakers. Theyre dying off, McCarter said. And were losing that traditional knowledge.

McCarter, whose wife has been shopping for other elders to keep them safe, said hes been dismayed to see younger people in the local Walmart, where the Cherokee Nation is unable to enforce its mask mandate, going unmasked, or wearing masks pulled down below their chins. I just thought to myself, this is idiotic, he said. I have emphysema and COPD, so if I get it, its going to be goodbye to me.

McCarters done his part at his church. While he says he would be allowed to hold services indoors, he moved services outdoors, even on Easter Sunday. People sit on chairs, socially distanced, to listen via speakers. Now that the weather has turned colder, McCarter has rigged up an FM transmitter, so church members can park and listen to the sermon from the safety of their cars.

Theyre all for it, he said of his congregation of about 70 people. He thinks the safer outdoor service is also attracting new worshippers. I dont know who they are, but I see a lot of cars I dont recognize, he said, adding, Were not going to go back inside until I get the all clear.

The coordinated and rapid response of the Cherokee Nation was possible, Pivec said, because it builds on a strong health care system the nations largest tribal health system that has been decades in the making.

Many credit former Chief Baker for the transformation. One of Bakers first actions when he took office in 2012 was to sell the tribes $1.5 million private jet to help pay for medical services. He also directed hundreds of millions of tribal profits in recent years toward health care projects, upgrading many rural clinics and commissioning a state-of-the-art outpatient facility that opened last year with specialized ventilation and the ability to separate patients, features that have proven extremely useful during the pandemic.

The facility is breathtaking to look at, and when you get into the logistics, its mind blowing, said Michele Marshall, a nurse manager who oversees nursing staff at the new facility and the hospital. We have separate clinics with air exchange and negative air pressure. My staff feels very safe.

The U.S. government is obligated by treaty to provide medical care to members of all federally recognized tribes. But the Indian Health Service annual budget of about $5 billion is far less than the $37 billion the National Indian Health Board estimates is needed; so some tribes, including the Cherokee Nation, supplement IHS funding with their own treasuries.

Marshall said shes thankful for the abundance of PPE her staff has received. The team that was responsible for getting PPE, they knocked it out of the park, she said. Marshall and her nurses are extremely proud of the high survival rate of their Covid patients. Were hitting patients with everything were able, she said. Convalescent plasma, antibiotics, remdesivir, steroids. They get it all.

Marshall said shes been stunned to see how differently patients respond to the virus. We had a 101-year-old man who beat it with flying colors, yet we lost a 39-year-old woman who was scheduled to go home the next day, she said. She is now facing a new surge of cases with a staff thats exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally because theyve had to not only provide nursing care, but also lend emotional support to patients cut off from their families. Marshall said shes been juggling schedules and hiring contract nurses so she can get her staff the rest they need. I tell them its not a sprint. Its a marathon, she said.

Like many health care workers in the Cherokee Nation, Marshall is a Cherokee citizen. Nationwide, less than 1% of physicians are Native American. At the Cherokee Nation, 27% of physicians are tribally affiliated and the tribe hopes to increase that number further. The Cherokee Nation is erecting a medical school building and launched a partnership with the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine to create the nations first tribally affiliated medical school. More than 20% of students in the inaugural class that started this fall are Native American.

Just as our ancestors grew their own teachers 150 years ago, Baker said, we want to grow our own doctors.

One of those home-grown doctors is Stephn Drywater, who works in the emergency room of W.W. Hastings, the hospital where he was born 34 years ago, and where the virus is keeping him on his toes. Eight months into this, Im still surprised daily, Drywater said. Some people are critically ill, others have no idea they have it, thats the scary thing.

Drywater said the risk hes personally facing is always a concern, particularly because of his grandparents, and the three young daughters he has at home. But he has plenty of PPE and even more motivation. I grew up 15 minutes from here, he said in a telephone interview just as he was leaving an exhausting ER shift. I basically want to do everything I can to help this community.

While the tribe faces many challenges as cases rise on and off reservation land among them asking people who are used to congregating in large family gatherings to stay apart Pivec said shes proud to see how much the practices she and her team have put in place have helped.

The Cherokee Nation, it seems, may have lessons for us all. I hope our response as a nation demonstrates what being in a tribe means, Pivec said. Its collectively caring for one another.

View original post here:

How the Covid-19 pandemic has been curtailed in Cherokee Nation - STAT

Then things took a turn for the worst.

The first week of November, Newsom said, saw a more than 51% increase in new cases. The previous highest rate increase the state experienced was 39.2% in June, he added.

The governor said officials are now considering a curfew, but are still taking a look at studies from several other countries -- including France, Germany and Saudi Arabia -- to better understand the efficacy of those measures.

"We have a lot of questions about what that looks like, what that doesn't look like," the governor said.

California wouldn't be alone. Local and state leaders have in the past few weeks announced similar measures.

94% of state's population in most restrictive tier

A staggering 40 California counties also moved backwards in the state's tier system this week, the governor announced Monday, meaning they'll now face more restrictions. A total of 41 counties are now in California's purple, most restrictive tier, which indicates a widespread risk level -- up from just 13 counties that were in the tier last week.

Just three weeks ago, only nine counties were in the purple tier, California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said in the Monday news conference.

"This move of now 41 counties in total in purple, tells us exactly, underscores what the governor shared, which is this rapid rise in cases, this significant change in transmission, not just in a couple of counties ... but statewide, is absolutely essential for us to immediately take control of and manage," Ghaly said.

"We must keep transmission low," he said. "And that's to avoid flooding the health care delivery system."

Rising cases will likely translate to more Covid-19 hospitalized patients in just a matter of two to three weeks, Ghaly said.

The state saw a 48% increase in Covid-19 hospitalizations over the past two weeks, according to the governor, which now make up about 5% of the patients in the state's health care system he added.

Over the same time frame, ICUs saw more than a 38% increase.

"We have been preparing precisely for this moment," the governor said, adding there are 11 surge facilities throughout the state that can be set up in a matter of 24 to 96 hours and have a total bed capacity of about 1,872.

Governor apologizes for attending birthday celebration

But as Newsom outlined the individual actions that public health officials have in the past months urged residents to take -- like wear masks, social distance and avoid gatherings -- he issued an apology, saying he "very soberly" acknowledged contradicting his own advice.

The governor said a few weeks ago, he attended a friend's birthday celebration which was an outdoor dinner.

"As soon as I sat down at the larger table I realized it was a little larger group than I had anticipated," he said. "And I made a bad mistake."

"Instead of sitting down, I should have stood up and walked back, gotten in my car and drove back to my house. Instead, I chose to sit there with my wife and a number of other couples that were outside the household."

Newsom said the "spirit of what I'm preaching all the time was contradicted" and apologized to residents "because I need to preach and practice."

"I shouldn't have been there, I should have turned back around," he added, vowing not to make a similar mistake again.

CNN's Cheri Mossburg contributed to this report.

See the original post here:

California reimposes Covid-19 restrictions on 40 counties as cases surge and the governor warns of possible curfew - CNN

On Sunday, Gov.r Jay Inslee announced four weeks of new statewide restrictions for Washington.

Today, Sunday, November 15, 2020, is the most dangerous public health day in the last 100 years of our states history. A pandemic is raging in our state. Left unchecked, it will assuredly result in grossly overburdened hospitals and morgues; and keep people from obtaining routine but necessary medical treatment for non-COVID conditions.

What do the numbers show? A citizen might ask: Is our hospital system actually on the verge of being overburdened? Are morgues on the verge of being overburdened? Where are all the COVID-19 cases occurring in our state?

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data, King County accounts for 26 percent of Washington states 125,498 COVID cases. They report 33,043 cases as of last week. Five counties account for almost 64 percent of the cases in the state..

King County has over five times the number of cases as Clark County. The second largest number of cases in the state is Pierce County at 12,547; 38 percent of King County and double the number of Clark County. As a percentage of the states total cases, Clark Countys 6,160 cases is 4.9 percent.

When it comes to fatalities, King County accounts for 836 deaths; over eight times the 100 deaths in Clark County. Pierce County has 247 deaths.

One of Gov. Inslees metrics for reopening the state is cases per 100,000 population. Using that metric, King County isnt number one in the state. Its actually number 14 of the 39 counties in Washington. Franklin County has that distinction, with 5,317 cases and 69 deaths. But because they have such a small population, 95,222 people, Franklin Countys case rate per 100,000 people is 5,584 making them nearly four times worse than King County using that metric.

Citizens might ask Is cases per 100,000 people really the proper metric for the governor to be using to open or close down businesses, or to restrict peoples activities?

Clark County is seventh in the state for total cases and number 19 for cases per 100,000. As of the 2010 census, it is the fifth most populous county in the state. Washingtons total population is estimated at 7.6 million people, and Clark County population is estimated at 488,000 for 2019.

On Monday, emergency room physician and former governor candidate Dr. Raul Garcia shared his observations and concerns. He doesnt believe we need a one size fits all solution.

The reason that we have had an increase in numbers is number one, were testing more people, he said. Number two, people are choosing their mental health over getting this virus which is 98 percent survivable.

This virus is dangerous, this virus is contagious. But we can beat this virus without crippling our mental health, without crippling our economic health in the state.That is exactly what were doing with these mandates. We are not thinking about the fact that 1.6 million people have come out and asked for mental health help.

We need to be consistent following scientific data. I think that if we give the power to our counties, have our commissioners get together with the medical leaders and the mental health leaders of that county and business leaders, each county could find solutions that balance COVID-19 with mental health and with business health. And, every county is going to be different.

Looking at the national picture by county, Los Angeles County has one third of a million COVID-19 cases leading the nation at 332,865. King County is number 50 in the nation and Pierce County is number 176. Multnomah County is number 179 with 12,382 cases and 191 deaths.

The top five counties in the United States account for 1,120,226 cases. They are Los Angeles County, Cook County, Illinois; Miami-Dade County, Florida; Maricopa County, Arizona; and Harris County, Texas. Those five counties account for over 10 percent of the 10.6 million U.S. COVID-19 cases.

The original concern triggering the stay home, stay safe order by Inslee and others was the fear of overrunning hospital capacity. He wanted to make sure our healthcare system could handle all the expected COVID-19 cases.

Washington state has 10,312 hospital beds according to the American Hospital Directory. The data shows COVID-19 patients occupation of those hospital beds peaked at 516 beds, or 5 percent of the statewide total, the week of March 29 early in the pandemic. In Washington, 9,281 COVID-19 patients have been hospitalized over the past eight and one half months; less than the total available beds statewide. Current data shows 608 people hospitalized for the virus; about 5.9 percent of the states hospital beds.

A September study by Biomedcentral reported an average hospital stay of five days for COVID-19 patients outside of China. For ICU patients, it was seven days.

Here in Clark County, there are 616 hospital beds. Legacy Salmon Creek has 166 beds and . PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver has 450 beds. COVID-19 patient occupation of those beds peaked at 21 beds the week of March 22, or 3.4 percent of Clark County hospital beds.

According to Clark County Public Health data, there are presently 46 people with COVID-19 hospitalized, and another six that may have it, as hospitals await test results. The county reports 8.3 percent of hospital beds are currently occupied by these patients. Over the entire pandemic, it is reported 422 people have been hospitalized with the virus; less than the 616 hospital bed capacity.

Furthermore, 88.5 percent of Clark County ICU beds are unoccupied as of last Friday. There remains a great deal of capacity to handle individuals needing hospitalization for the virus.

The good news is that area healthcare providers appear to have done an excellent job dealing with COVID-19 patients and returning them to good health. The number of people dying due to COVID-19 has been declining. On Friday, Washington reported 25 people had passed with the virus. The 7-day moving average is 12 deaths. The largest single day for people passing with the virus was April 26 with 73 deaths.

The COVID-19 tracking project using the CDC data says there is reason to be hopeful.

The gap that opens up between the hospitalization and fatality curves illustrates one of the most encouraging pieces of news about the pandemic in the United States.

This pattern in the data we compile is borne out by a recent finding that in one large New York healthcare system, patients hospitalized with COVID-19 had a greater than 25 percent chance of dying at the beginning of the pandemic. By August, COVID-19 patients admitted to the same hospital system had a less than eight percent chance of dying.

So while testing is up and the number of COVID-19 cases is up, fewer people are dying from the virus.

Go here to see the original:

What do the numbers tell us about COVID-19 in the state of Washington? - clarkcountytoday.com

Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today released a weekly status update detailing the states mitigation efforts based on the COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard, highlighting a seven-day case increase of 26,215 cases, statewide percent positivity of 9.6%, and a concerning 59 counties with substantial transmission status.

The update includes the following:

The dashboard is designed to provide early warning signs of factors that affect the states mitigation efforts. The data available on the early warning monitoring dashboard includes week-over-week case differences, incidence rates, test percent-positivity, and rates of hospitalizations, ventilations and emergency room visits tied to COVID-19. This weeks update compares the period of November 6 November 12 to the previous seven days, October 30 November 5.

The significant increase in cases and percent positivity across much of the state is cause for concern, Gov. Wolf said. We need all Pennsylvanians to take a stand and answer the call to protect one another. We need Pennsylvanians to be united in wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, washing our hands and avoiding gatherings. It is only by working together that Pennsylvanians can prevent the spread of the virus.

As of Thursday, November 12, the state has seen a seven-day case increase of 26,215 cases; the previous seven-day increase was 16,646 cases, indicating 9,569 more new cases across the state over the past week compared to the previous week.

The statewide percent-positivity went up to 9.6% from 6.8% last week. Every county in the state has a concerning percent positivity above five percent except the following counties: Forest (1.8%); Cameron (2.1%); Union (3.2%), Wayne (3.7%) and Susquehanna (4.6).

This weeks data, in terms of case increase, percent positivity and other factors is concerning, Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. We know COVID-19 does not discriminate. It is affecting all Pennsylvanians, no matter your race, ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status or whether you live a rural, suburban or urban area. We need all Pennsylvanians to take the steps they can take to protect one another.

As of Fridays data, Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Tioga, Union, Venango, Washington, Westmoreland, Wyoming and York counties were in the substantial level of community transmission. The departments of Education and Health will speak with school district representatives in these counties to discuss the implications of this level of transmission.

For the week ending November 12, three counties were in the low level of transmission, five counties in the moderate level, with 59 with substantial transmission:

The Department of Health is providing weekly data on the number of statewide cases of COVID-19 among 5 to 18-year-olds.

Throughout the pandemic, there have been 19,805 total cases of COVID-19 among 5 to 18-year-olds. Of that total, 3,198 occurred between November 6 November 12. For the week of October 30 November 5, there were 2,077 cases of COVID-19 among 5 to 18-year-olds.

Cases by demographic group is available on the DOH website.

The Department of Health is providing weekly data on the number of individuals who responded to case investigators that they spent time at business establishments (restaurants, bars, gym/fitness centers, salon/barbershops) and at mass gatherings 14 days prior to the onset of COVID-19 symptoms.

Of the 20,985 confirmed cases reported between November 1 and November 7, 16 percent (3,327) provided an answer to the question as to whether they spent time at a business establishment.

Of those who did provide an answer, 16 percent, or 535, answered yes, they visited a business establishment 14 days prior to onset of symptoms:

Of the 20,985 confirmed cases, 16 percent (3,335) answered the question as to whether they attended a mass gathering or other large event. Of the 16 percent, 18.4 percent (615) answered yes to whether they attended a mass gathering or other large event 14 days prior to onset of symptoms.

Compared to data reported on November 9, this weeks data saw a decrease for people who reported going to a restaurant (53 percent vs. 55 percent last week), going to a gym/fitness center (11 percent vs. 12 percent last week), going to a salon/barbershop (7 percent vs. 8 percent last week), and going to a bar (12.5 percent vs. 13 percent last week). Numbers remained the same for those going to some other business (26 percent vs. 26 percent last week. The number of those who attended a mass gathering or other large event decreased slightly to 18.4 percent from 19 percent last week.

The numbers above highlight business settings and mass gatherings as possible sites for transmission. With less than half of those asked about what types of businesses they visited or if they attended a mass gathering responding to the question, the department is reminding Pennsylvanians that it is essential that people answer the phone when case investigators call and to provide full and complete information to these clinical professionals.

Also today, the Department of Health updated its travel recommendations, originally announced on July 2, adding Virginia to the list of states recommended for domestic travelers returning from to quarantine for 14 days upon return to Pennsylvania. In addition, the state added two neighboring states (Delaware and Maryland) to a list of bordering states in which non-essential travel is highly discouraged.

It is important that people understand that this recommendation is in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania. A concerning number of recent cases have been linked to travel, and if people are going to travel, we need them to take steps to protect themselves, their loved ones and their community, and that involves quarantining.

Gov. Wolf continues to prioritize the health and safety of all Pennsylvanians through the COVID-19 pandemic. Pennsylvanians should continue to take actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, regardless of in what county they live. This includes wearing a mask or face covering anytime they are in public. COVID-19 has been shown to spread easily in the air and contagious carriers can be asymptomatic.

Continued here:

Pennsylvania COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring Dashboard Update for Nov. 6 - Nov. 12: Case Increases Top 26,000; Percent Positivity at 9.6% and 59...

Rise in panic buying at local stores as Washington tightens COVID-19 restrictions  KOMO News

Link:

Rise in panic buying at local stores as Washington tightens COVID-19 restrictions - KOMO News

REVIEW OF LATEST DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SATURDAY MAP UPDATEAdditionally, Gov. Justice reviewed this past Saturdays 5 p.m West Virginia Department of Education color-codedSchool Alert System map update, which determines the level of scholastic, athletic, and extracurricular activities permitted in each county for the following week.

The results of the update on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020, were as follows:

Redcounties:5(Barbour, Jackson, Marshall, Mineral, Randolph)Orangecounties:12(Fayette, Hardy, Jefferson, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo, Ohio, Putnam, Tyler, Wayne, Wood, Wyoming)Goldcounties:10(Berkeley, Boone, Brooke, Cabell, Hancock, Kanawha, Mason, Morgan, Nicholas, Preston)Yellowcounties:12(Clay, Hampshire, Harrison, Lewis, McDowell, Mercer, Monroe, Pleasants, Raleigh, Ritchie, Upshur, Wetzel)Greencounties:16(Braxton, Calhoun, Doddridge, Gilmer, Grant, Greenbrier, Marion, Monongalia, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Roane, Summers, Taylor, Tucker, Webster, Wirt)

State health leaders who make up the COVID-19 Data Review Panel verified the data to ensure the map was a true indication of the safety level in each county.

See the original post here:

COVID-19 UPDATE: Gov. Justice provides reminder that updated face covering requirement is now in effect; celebrates progress on another vaccine - West...

On Sunday, about 40 protesters marched around the Executive Mansion in Raleigh, calling on Gov. Roy Cooper to use his pardon and clemency powers to free prisoners who are at serious risk of contracting COVID-19.

It would be an unconventional solution, but as demonstrator Daniel Bowes said at the protest, Its the most flexible and direct path to both protect people from COVID in prison, but also to end mass incarceration.

Dramatic steps may be necessary. Prison inmates, with few protections available in their closed environments, are an especially vulnerable population.

Last week, North Carolina authorities reported more than 4,500 cases and 22 deaths within its state prisons. Thats triple the number of cases since July. Nearly 200 new positive cases have been identified so far this month.

And thats just the state prisons. At Butner Correctional Complex, North Carolinas only federal prison, 26 prisoners have died; thats more than at any other federal prison. More than 900 Butner inmates have tested positive.

Here is the original post:

Editorial: Cooper should act to address COVID-19 crisis in state prisons - The Progressive Pulse