Friday, April 24, 2020

Consequences


This matter should concern all of us.  From The Federalist, dated April 23, 2020....
Instead Of ‘Flattening The Curve,’ We Flattened Hospitals, Doctors, And The U.S. Health Care System: Across the country, hospitals shut down 'non-essential' procedures in preparation for a surge of coronavirus patients that never appeared

When the lockdowns began last month, we were told that if we didn’t stay home our hospitals would be overwhelmed with coronavirus patients, intensive care wards would be overrun, there wouldn’t be enough ventilators, and some people would probably die in their homes for lack of care. To maintain capacity in the health-care system, we all had to go on lockdown—not just the big cities, but everywhere.

So we stayed home, businesses closed, and tens of millions of Americans lost their jobs. But with the exception of New York City, the overwhelming surge of coronavirus patients never really appeared—at least not in the predicted numbers, which have been off by hundreds of thousands.

[...]

[H]ospitals and health care systems nationwide have had to furlough or lay off thousands of employees. Why? Because the vast majority of most hospitals’ revenue comes from elective or “non-essential” procedures. We’re not talking about LASIK eye surgery but things like coronary angioplasty and stents, procedures that are necessary but maybe not emergencies—yet. If hospitals can’t perform these procedures because governors have banned them, then they can’t pay their bills, or their employees....
Read the rest HERE.

17 comments:

Always On Watch said...

Checking the comments notification box.

Anonymous said...

I was scheduled for breast cancer surgery and they cancelled it. Told me my cancer was important to them but that it could wait because it was so small. I had already waited for 3 months to get scheduled. Now they don't even respond to my emails asking for an update. I am talking about UCSF!!

Always On Watch said...

Anonymous,
That's awful! Cancer doesn't wait! Is there somewhere else you could go besides UCSF?

I have something going on, too, but not as serious as your situation. I have a my much-needed consultation with my kidney surgeon. I've already got one damaged kidney, and in early March a scan showed that I've developed a similar problem with my good kidney (hydronephrosis); in March, there was no damage to the good kidney. Now I have to wait until late July to get the consultation which precedes corrective surgery. Maybe my kidney can afford to wait, maybe not. I won't know until I have the next scan -- in June.

My situation is not life and death, but I really would like not to lose a kidney -- especially because the remaining kidney has significant damage.

Always On Watch said...

This comment just popped up over at my blog:

After recovering from the Wuhan virus in February, I have been left slightly short of breath and with a slight but persistent dry cough. I have an oximeter (which everyone with my lung history should) and my oxygen level is mostly in the 91% to 94% range. This is of some concern and my wife wants me to call the doctor, but Scripps doctor's offices are closed, so I would have to see him at the hospital. I am not going anywhere that place. The staff there is all operating in a climate of panic and negativity, and I am not about to have them involved in treating me.

Anonymous said...

HRW for AoW:
Nick Cordero taken off ventilator in coronavirus fight, wife says https://trib.al/r0KvBDI

Broadway star Nick Cordero has been taken off a ventilator, marking a milestone for the actor in his battle with the coronavirus, heis elated wife revealed.

"He is on the trach! They did it, and he's OK, and he is free of the ventilator," Amanda Kloots announced Friday on Instagram stories.

Cordero, 41, had a tracheeostomy to help remove him from the cumbersome ventilator, Kloots said. A "trach" involves creting a hole in a person's windpipe to insert an oxygen tube.

Doctors had been waiting for Cordero's health to improve before performing the procedure, Kloots said.
https://twitter.com/StayFreeAndLive/status/1256600462968737793

*****
BTW...don't know if you saw this:
Scientists successfully reversed stroke damage in rodent tests https://trib.al/vZ7jmfT
https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1248278589604352000

Always On Watch said...

HRW,
This news about Nick Cordero is very encouraging. Thank you for alerting me to it.

I'll check that info about reversing stroke damage.

BTW, a few months ago, during The Big Clean Out here, I found a printout of the long email you sent me after Mr. AOW had a major stroke in 2009. I am ever grateful for letter, my friend. A comfort then -- a comfort now

Pastorius said...

Let's see now. Coronavirus kills almost no one under 60.

AND it kills more men than women.

AND it never see how the male/female breakdown goes by age.

AND Coronavirus is spliced with AIDS.

AND Nick Cordero suffered a myriad of health issues not ordinarily associated with Coronavirus. As have many other younger males who have "died" of Coronavirus.

Do you see what I'm getting at?

By the way, Coronavirus is not a lung disease. It is a disease of the blood.

Pastorius said...

Anonymous at 12:37,
I am so sorry.

Always On Watch said...

Pasto,
Coronavirus kills almost no one under 60.

But what does their "recovery" look like? I see sweet little on that, but what I have seen is nasty. But what am I not seeing? The good recoveries?

AND Coronavirus is spliced with AIDS.

Man-made, IMO.

Pastorius said...

AOW, have you read the serological information?

Saying you don't see recoveries is either denying the evidence of the Serological studies or it is absolute ignorance of it.

I don't think you understood what I was writing above about AIDS and COVID.

Let me be blunt.

The reason no young man you know has a terrible case of COVID and yet a Broadway star who is very "healthy" does, is because he probably has AIDS, and COVID digs into the AIDS syndrome, and does a number on the gay men who have it.

Notice most of the celebrities who have died of COVID were men.

Pastorius said...

ALMOST EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM IS MALE

https://nypost.com/list/celebrity-deaths-from-coronavirus-and-covid-19-complications/

Pastorius said...

Of course what I wrote above about AIDS and COVID is just my speculation. I don't know for sure, obviously.

Always On Watch said...

Pasto,
The reason no young man you know has a terrible case of COVID and yet a Broadway star who is very "healthy" does, is because he probably has AIDS, and COVID digs into the AIDS syndrome, and does a number on the gay men who have it.

I don't doubt that COVID-19 does a number on gay men.

But...

I've found nothing indicating that Cordero is gay. Do you have any information?

Perhaps he does have some underlying health condition which was sub-clinical till COVID-19 came along.

Always On Watch said...

Pasto,
Saying you don't see recoveries is either denying the evidence of the Serological studies or it is absolute ignorance of it.


I do understand serological studies.

But I was to know what "recovery" from this Ripley looks like -- in practical terms. My husband is considered "recovered" from his stroke in that he is unlikely to have another stroke of the same type now, but what this "recovery" looks like is total disability.

Always On Watch said...

Pasto,
Coronavirus is not a lung disease. It is a disease of the blood.

Perhaps so.

Pastorius said...

You still haven't responded to the Serological information.

Unless maybe you think that 4 million people are now walking around California completely debilitated from their bout of Coronavirus.

Is that what you think?

Because if it is, then I can assure you it is not true.

Always On Watch said...

Pasto,
I must be missing something here. Perhaps we can take this to a phone conversation. I'd very much like to better understand what you are getting at.