PLAYPEN: Covid-19 Everything Political

[JoeKitchen]

I seem to remember some orange man saying that we did not need an extreme amount of testing about a month ago.  He was then thoroughly dragged through the mud by the media.  Well ...

As coronavirus testing expands, a new problem arises: Not enough people to test

Just like when he said that we did not need the amount of ventilators Cuomo was suggesting, got dragged through the mud and then ended up being right, history is repeating itself again. 

Before someone decides to write, yes, I am sure if we just wait two weeks, we will be using all of those test as we fall into the abyss.  And if not, just wait two more and so on until armageddon gets here. 

[JoeKitchen]

If the economy continues to tank before the election, Americans will be screaming for all those things, unfortunately.  Trump will sign off on them as well.  The election will make this a race to the bottom of who can give out more free stuff faster than the other guy.

As Craig pointed out, I think the economy in Red states will recover pretty fast whereas in Blue states it will be remain anemic.  That will be a clear contrast to the policies. 

The trick will getting the news media to write about it since it is obvious they are all for Biden. 

[Alan Klein]

A lot of testing never made sense to me.  You don't have to test the whole population any more than you do when you poll.  Just a few thousand random samples, and you know what is going on in a particular area.  It might be nice to know if you personally have antibodies if it's proved that you can't get it again because you've been naturally vaccinated.  Also, people who show symptoms or are in hospitals.  You want to verify they have the disease.  Beyond that, the testing "shortfall" has always been political hype to make Trump look bad. 

[Alan Klein]

As Craig pointed out, I think the economy in Red states will recover pretty fast whereas in Blue states it will be remain anemic.  That will be a clear contrast to the policies. 

The trick will getting the news media to write about it since it is obvious they are all for Biden. 

Well, the rate of infection should go up in Red states, even if slightly compared to states that stay at home.  So the press will highlight that image to make Trump and the Republicans look bad.  That's how it will be spinned.  They'll ignore the economic differences and just claim Republican care more about money than they do people even if a weaker economy feeds less people.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

...  Traveling is going to be a real problem....

Cruise reservations for August are through the roof.

[Craig Lamson]

Are the restaurants filling up? If they have to keep to let's say 50% occupancy, prices will have to go up to offset the overhead costs.  Rent, cooks, property taxes, mortgage costs, electricity, accountants, etc remain the same regardless of the number of customers.   That means that richer people will be able to afford to go there and many people who use to go when the prices were cheaper, will have to find less expensive places or eat at home. 

Also, with so many people out of work, the less expensive restaurants who attract lower income people, will have a tougher time of it as the unemployment rate of people who earn less is much higher than the rest of the population.  I read people who earn under $40K a year are at a 40% unemployment rate. Prices will go up generally in any case due to all the inflation we're going to get hit with. 

Traveling is going to be a real problem.  A lot of older people like me and my wife travel a lot.  With coronavirus still around, who wants to travel?  We're in the group that has the highest death rates.  Your RV's seem like a good idea.  Maybe renting a house in the country or woods or ocean shore is another good option. You can keep your family to yourselves.  But sitting on a plane with people coughing on you isn't my idea of fun.

As to unemployment...again I can anly speak to my state.  Maximun the state pays is $390 a week depending on what you earn.  Add in the Care act $600 and you can make $990 a week on unemployment.  Thats $51,400 a year.  Of couse the paln only covers 36 weeks  Ihtingk but if the says bad that will increase.  Now lets suppose you had a minimum wage job (15 bucks to be kind0 and got laid off.  You worked 50 hours a week.  Thats 750 bucks a week.  It pays to be unemployed.  Its even better if you have a spouse and they get the 990 a week too.  You rake in $102,800 on a yearly basis.

I don't think anyone who has been laaid off is starving.  Sure those who made more than $990 might  not be happy....

And the pandemic unemployment sure pays better than Social Security.

[LesPalenik]

Cruise reservations for August are through the roof.

Consequently, there could be a shortage of ventilators in September.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

... I don't think anyone who has been laid off is starving...

In theory.

In practice, as in my daughter's case in Florida, first her user name and PIN were supposedly not valid, when she logged back in to check the status of her application. Call a number to have it resolved... called and called, busy...  a day or two later, PIN is resolved. Once back in, she found a message that the application is in the pending status as she needs to call a different number to "confirm her identity" (never mind that she supplied all that info already online). That's was a couple of days ago. Calling multiple times a day, still not joy and no money. A friend from Indiana told me it took him like 70 calls to get through.

[Craig Lamson]

In theory.

In practice, as in my daughter's case in Florida, first her user name and PIN were supposedly not valid, when she logged back in to check the status of her application. Call a number to have it resolved... called and called, busy...  a day or two later, PIN is resolved. Once back in, she found a message that the application is in the pending status as she needs to call a different number to "confirm her identity" (never mind that she supplied all that info already online). That's was a couple of days ago. Calling multiple times a day, still not joy and no money. A friend from Indiana told me it took him like 70 calls to get through.

Well, we both applied for the PUI coverage.  Filed a regular claim and was denied.  A week later the system waas up and running and a week later we both got our money for two weeks.  We then got a letter says we owed a bunch of it back because we filed a joint return and they could not verify indiviual income.  Called them today - a 30min wait and got the information needed to fix both the income verification and to get our claim backdated to the 29th of March so we can get paid for those two weeks.  I don't have any idea when it will be resolved and we can file for those two weeks and not owe any money back.

Its $7920 for the 4 weeks we were out of business so its enough money I was not going to leave it on the table.  Add in the $2400 we got today from the Feds and its over 10 grand. 

[JoeKitchen]

Rack another untruth up to the experts. 

CDC: Coronavirus mainly spreads through person-to-person contact and 'does not spread easily' on contaminated surfaces

I have no idea what to think. 

[JoeKitchen]

60+% of death occurring in nursing homes; all Orange Man's and Republican's fault.  Give me a break. 

[faberryman]

Another shooting over not wearing a face mask, this time at a Waffle House:

https://nypost.com/2020/05/20/man-shoots-waffle-house-worker-in-coronavirus-mask-dispute/

Be careful out there.

[Alan Klein]

Cruise reservations for August are through the roof.

I'll rent a one-man canoe, locally. 

[Alan Klein]

60+% of death occurring in nursing homes; all Orange Man's and Republican's fault.  Give me a break. 

My town in New Jersey lost 91, 68 in long-term care facilities and 23 community-wide.  That's 75% in assisted living and nursing homes.  We have around 40,000 people.  So that's a death rate of .0023 or .23%.  But it's the 75% in nursing homes that's impressively sad. 

[JoeKitchen]

My town in New Jersey lost 91, 68 in long-term care facilities and 23 community-wide.  That's 75% in assisted living and nursing homes.  We have around 40,000 people.  So that's a death rate of .0023 or .23%.  But it's the 75% in nursing homes that's impressively sad.

As this plays out, it is looking like Rick DeSantis in FL nailed this, whereas Cuomo totally botched it. 

In March DeSantis banned any resident who may be positive from entering back into a retirement community.  His administration got a lot of backlash from hospital admins since Medicare requires residents to be sent back asap and will cost the hospital money if not.  This is probably the reason why Cuomo issued his order, to save money. 

If that comes out, Cuomo is going to be toast. 

Here is a great article on how good of a job he did. 

Where Does Ron DeSantis Go to Get His Apology?

[faberryman]

In March DeSantis banned any resident who may be positive from entering back into a retirement community.

The approach seems sensible from a medical point of view, but I am curious about the elderly who tested positive but were asymptomatic, or had symptoms which did not require hospitalization, once they were precluded from returning to their homes where did they go? Did the state provide alternate living arrangements?

[chez]

The approach seems sensible from a medical point of view, but I am curious about the elderly who tested positive but were asymptomatic, or had symptoms which did not require hospitalization, once they were precluded from returning to their homes where did they go? Did the state provide alternate living arrangements?

The people in full time care homes require that full time care and cannot just be put into any old place. Many are dealing with dementia, many are bed ridden...most could not function on their own or even living with relatives.

[Alan Klein]

Gov DiSantis had residents in the assisted living homes in Florida that were identified with Covid to be  isolated within the home.  Those who were sick in the hospitals were not allowed back to the assisted living homes where they lived unlike what Gov Cuomo did in NY.  Sick old Floridians were kept in the hospitals even though Medicare had for twenty years mandated that they be returned to their nursing homes.  DeSantis acted decisively, overrode federal directions, and saved many FLoridan lives and lowered the spread of the virus.  Meanwhile NY Gov Cuomo sent sick patients from hospitals back to their nursing homes to spread the virus and kill other residents and he blamed the federal government.  Of course, he was the one who complained and insisted that the Governor controls everything not the federal government or Trump.  Typical of politicians who blame others when things go bad while taking all the credit when they go well.  Of course, the biased liberal press gave kudos to Cuomo and attacked Disantis.  What else is new?

[JoeKitchen]

The approach seems sensible from a medical point of view, but I am curious about the elderly who tested positive but were asymptomatic, or had symptoms which did not require hospitalization, once they were precluded from returning to their homes where did they go? Did the state provide alternate living arrangements?

He kept them in the hospitals until they either got better or died.  This was a point of contention since hospitals do not got paid to care for those whom live in retirement communities, which is what they are for.  They only get paid for the initial service. 

IMHO, I feel this is why Cuomo and others forced communities to take those who tested positive back, to save money. 

Insofar those who were asymptomatic,  I doubt they were ever tested.  In the beginning only those with symptoms were tested.  Why would that be different at retirement communities until testing was more available.  This is just conjecture on my part though. 

[Alan Klein]

He kept them in the hospitals until they either got better or died.  This was a point of contention since hospitals do not got paid to care for those whom live in retirement communities, which is what they are for.  They only get paid for the initial service. 

IMHO, I feel this is why Cuomo and others forced communities to take those who tested positive back, to save money. 

Insofar those who were asymptomatic,  I doubt they were ever tested.  In the beginning only those with symptoms were tested.  Why would that be different at retirement communities until testing was more available.  This is just conjecture on my part though. 

My mother-in-law was just tested in New Jersey last week along with the rest of the residents in her place.  She was negative.  I don't know the results yet of the rest of the residents.  It seems the governor was more pro-active in Florida than my home state of NJ.