Corona Virus

[Rusty Edge]

Monday my wife had day surgery (dislocated shoulder with complication) because it qualified as an emergency. She didn't want to stay overnight anyway because the hospital is full of covid and the hospital beds aren't as comfortable as her new recliner.
As she was leaving, the volunteer who wheeled her to the car was complaining about the hospital being "full of covid patients and none of 'em are vaccinated."

Well, maybe things are about to change. The local news tonight was explaining that while the cost of vaccines and an allowance for testing would continue to be covered by the federal government, as of this month people would be accountable for their share of Covid treatment costs. I think once word of this gets out from those who were hospitalized, people will be more afraid of expenses than the erosions of their rights. Because I've come to believe that most of those who fight covid control measures are selfish rather than principled at heart. They are more interested in personal convenience than the potential suffering of friends, family, and neighbors.

[Unorthodox]

hEt has been getting bonuses just for showing up to the mandatory extra shifts.  Like 3-4x pay just for showing up because even THAT isn't worth it to some of these people or they're all down with it themselves. 

That's the point the workers are at here. 

[Rusty Edge]

Looks like we're off of the Covid cases plateau and starting the downhill side here in Wisconsin, and supposedly nationally. I 'll feel happier about that in a couple of weeks when the deaths are reduced.

[Bertilak]

Elective surgeries in the hospitals around my area have been canceled for the foreseeable future. Cancellation of elective surgeries indicate the hospitals possess either a staff shortage or an overflow of patients. Coronavirus cases have, however, been on the decline.

[Unorthodox]

Here, it's definitely staffing.  There's officially "more beds" but they can't staff enough to cover the patients they have, hence hEt being on mandatory overtime since mid summer and show up bonuses to those that haven't quit because of the increased stress.

[Geo]

Here, it's definitely staffing.  There's officially "more beds" but they can't staff enough to cover the patients they have, hence hEt being on mandatory overtime since mid summer and show up bonuses to those that haven't quit because of the increased stress.

That sounds about the same as the staff situation here - minus the bonuses as far as I know.

[Rusty Edge]

New cases are about half of what they were at the peak now.
On the other hand, about 75 people a day are dying now, rather than 50. Well, like I said
I'll feel happier about the decline in cases when the deaths are declining, too.

[Unorthodox]

Our 7 day average is slightly ticking down, but it's too wild to really count on it.  10k cases yesterday, 3k today, so that 3k brings the 7day down but could be a fluke. 

The local govt has done everything it can to ignore that all from changing the rules so schools don't lockdown at the pre-approved levels to actively working against county health organizations to prevent any kind of mask mandates or shutdowns. 

Talia has stayed at school and masked, vaxed, boosted, and so far so good. 

Air quality is so far in the toilet I'd never know if I had symptoms of covid or just the air.  Lack of snow this winter is keeping it dirty and not looking good for the drought conditions. 

[Buster's Uncle]

I give you our snow.

[Geo]

I give you our snow.

no need for power?

[Buster's Uncle]

Not if it doesn't snow.

[Geo]

But... It die snow?!?

[Buster's Uncle]

What, like turn into snow and die?

Never heard of such a thing.

[Geo]

What, like turn into snow and die?

Never heard of such a thing.

Argh, stupid autotext feature on the dumbphone.I meant to say: "it did snow".So you did have a power blackout?

[Buster's Uncle]

We did have some snow, week before last -just enough sleet that we couldn't have snow cream- but no power outage.