Medical Discussion of Coronavirus

[SLC OB]

nah, there are restrictions. I'm just hung up on the fact I can get a mani/pedi and have a drink at the bar--although at reduced capacity--but my kid can only see the teacher in 2D.

We just got the call... 27 active cases and 185 on students and staff on Quarantine (These numbers may not seem high to you but our high school is only 700 students). Closing schools again. Of course, my kids were jumping for joy! They definitely have mixed feelings on socialization vs. school in PJs from home!

[StarTrekDoc]

Luckily our school 1 of 800 and got from community - we do 50:50 alternating days on campus with cohorts within the classes. As good social distancing as most high schoolers do with nearly as good masking -- the worst is when they playing ball and mask slips down the nose.

Even are going 100% online 1 week post thanksgiving just to make sure and making folk commit to no parties or will take test AND be 14 days off campus if party or travel out of state.

Many multi generational families and teachers at risk, but school trying to find a balance between F2F/online teachings and balance of risk and requirements

[Anne]

Presumably demographics, but I find Utah’s Covid experience very interesting. Cases per capita are 6th in the US whilst deaths per capita are 46th. I believe it’s the biggest differential. Wyoming fairly similar.

I believe Utah has the youngest average age of any state

[pulmdoc]

So the school issue. I just deleted a lengthy diatribe because I recognize I have a pony in the race (I have a kid that I want back in the class and we are a family without comorbidities). We did not see an uptick in cases when class resumed. I understand that the deck has changed--as perhaps the aces have already been dealt--but is keeping kids home the right answer? I mean, the nail salons, bars, art galleries are all still open....

My children have been in full time, 5 day a week in person classes since August. Private school that has been extremely strict about masking and tight cohorting of students, maximizing outdoor time which is why my wife and I were willing to take the risk. So far, although there have been isolated cases, no horizontal spread between students during school (there was an outbreak in HS due to a maskless party). Masking does work, as long as the entire community is on board with it. Many of the public schools declined to mandate masks and have had huge outbreaks which forced them into virtual learning because the whole school was under quarantine.

[Bmac]

I believe Utah has the youngest average age of any state

Also, lowest rates of alcohol and tobacco consumption as well as obesity likely play a role.

[Tyche]

So the school issue. I just deleted a lengthy diatribe because I recognize I have a pony in the race (I have a kid that I want back in the class and we are a family without comorbidities). We did not see an uptick in cases when class resumed. I understand that the deck has changed--as perhaps the aces have already been dealt--but is keeping kids home the right answer? I mean, the nail salons, bars, art galleries are all still open....

I'm so surprised this conversation keeps going back to schools again and again. It seems pretty clear to me. Bars, restaurants, and nail salons pay taxes and schools don't. Galleries are usually NGOs, aside from the few owned by the government, but those make sense too. Large, airy rooms with plenty of space to distance. Also I can't imagine they get that much foot traffic.

[G]

I'm so surprised this conversation keeps going back to schools again and again. It seems pretty clear to me. Bars, restaurants, and nail salons pay taxes and schools don't. Galleries are usually NGOs, aside from the few owned by the government, but those make sense too. Large, airy rooms with plenty of space to distance. Also I can't imagine they get that much foot traffic.

Really? Aside from the fact that a good percentage of our population is set up to spend 5 days a week there (even though those little parasites do not generate tax revenue, their teachers, cafeteria workers, school nurses, etc certainly do), it is also de facto child care for another large percentage of our workers.

And this conversation is within the context of a bunch of rich, motivated doctors who have the luxury of focusing on the "best" option for their children.

[Shant]

It's funny, where I live there's an uproar about the rules being applied to bars, restaurants and other workplaces not getting applied to in-person schools. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Heck I hit three different policies about whether my mask was acceptable in three different services of the same hospital this week.

Also unfortunately it appears that the hospital COVID screening for day patients has already reached the state of security theatre since a positive answer to the screening questions results in no response so why are we doing this again? .

[Lordosis]

It's funny, where I live there's an uproar about the rules being applied to bars, restaurants and other workplaces not getting applied to in-person schools. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Heck I hit three different policies about whether my mask was acceptable in three different services of the same hospital this week.

Also unfortunately it appears that the hospital COVID screening for day patients has already reached the state of security theatre since a positive answer to the screening questions results in no response so why are we doing this again? .

It is a level of importance and priority. I feel that education is more important then being able to get a drink with a friend. Also schools can enforce masking and distancing. Bars can try but you cannot drink and mask and I have not been impressed with the distancing I have seen.

Also when school services shut down and families need alternative child care and need to work less or hire help to teach their kids it is a burden. I have not heard about any reduction on school taxes.

[wideopenspaces]

So the school issue. I just deleted a lengthy diatribe because I recognize I have a pony in the race (I have a kid that I want back in the class and we are a family without comorbidities). We did not see an uptick in cases when class resumed. I understand that the deck has changed--as perhaps the aces have already been dealt--but is keeping kids home the right answer? I mean, the nail salons, bars, art galleries are all still open....

I don't know what the right answer is . . . I am grateful we are in the one school district that is all online though. So we don't have to worry about exposure there and of course we are not eating out or shopping or going out besides to the grocery store.The other schools go back and forth ( in person to online) depending on how many cases they get or if your student gets exposed, which seems confusing. But with everyone gathering for Thanksgiving and going back to school- seems like it will only worsen cases here right now. I wish we were doing more testing but we don't have the capability so things will get worse before they get better. I just really worry with the lack of ICU beds. Our death rate is low so far but that could really lead to a lot more unnecessary deaths.

[StarTrekDoc]

As for schools - our school has been threading that needle fairly well. Blended model that allows student choice of online or in-person. In-person: spacing and mask enforcement. We're fortunate as most school systems simply CANNOT AFFORD this monetary commitment or resource intense lift to accomplish this.

That is why many schools have to make the hard choices that they do. Now, those not enforcing any mask policy with in-person learning is just simply poor judgment of the schools and should bare the wrath of those asking why schools exempt while businesses aren't.

People will vary on their own risk exposure and that will vary regardless of political leanings. I have biology university prof where one is demanding inperson labs while the other will not even get his labs drawn by mobile tech on his porch.

[Shant]

That is why many schools have to make the hard choices that they do. Now, those not enforcing any mask policy with in-person learning is just simply poor judgment of the schools and should bare the wrath of those asking why schools exempt while businesses aren't.

This is exactly the complaint I'm hearing here. Also weirdly the local school administrators have somehow decided that they can't require masking unless the public health officials mandate it or else they will be liable. I really don't follow their reasoning on that one at all. Schools have lots of rules for student health and safety that aren't mandated from somewhere on high.

[Tim]

Just caught wind that the teachers union is making the pitch that they need to be moved up the priority list for vaccinations. Just as with the demographics were sliced and diced, vaccine priorities will be subject to political pressures.
Heads up, my understanding is that allocations will be based upon populations. This alone will place some imbalances. For example, physicians per populations are substantially different. The income distributions are substantially different. I can see many looking for cutting in line, one way or another IF the population gets convinced that "life is back" if only I get vaccinated. Availability might be an issue.

Also CVS, Walgreens and Walmart are supposedly involved as well. CVS Health is signed up for starting the nursing homes onsite within 48 hours, (Pfitzer cold storage included). Who knows?

[StarTrekDoc]

It's amazing what a 90-95% effective vaccine can do with public perception. Just 2 weeks ago, general public feelings were 'meh' on the vaccine. Now, people who were slow to warm are drum beating on getting priority status. -- better problems to have IMHO as 'selling' the vaccine was going to be a significant lift.

Yes, CVS is pushing into the NH in bulk mass vaccines per Op Warp Speed agreements

We're gearing up for the post-Dec 10th approval. Freezers on-site and ready. Fleshing out the internal priority groups and then notifications.

[Peds]

And when we find out vaccine last 3 months?
our country has >20K on order....