TWF 309 - Nassau County Positivity Rate Breaks 10% (CoVID Update #9)

 Greetings, friends,

Unfortunate news, today, brought to us by Nassau County Executive Laura Curran:

With a 10% positivity rate, that means that one out of every ten people who go in to get tested are turning up positive.  Our biggest problem is that, yesterday, this number was only 6.8%

As you can no doubt see, there are significant problems facing Nassau County.  If this is a one-off and we drop back down to something more like a 6.0, then it's not the greatest warning sign in the world.  If, on the other hand, this number stays elevated...

...Well, we have significant problems.

I don't have much to say.  I don't know what there is to say in a situation like this.  All I can do is say that we need to call our representatives, senators, and the rest and demand that help be provided to businesses and individuals who are suffering the economic hardships of this virus, because the fact is that at this rate there there will need to be another shut-down.

Nobody will like it.

Nobody will be happy with it.

But too many people have already died, and are still dying of this virus.  It's absolute madness to allow it to spread out of control, and when one in ten people tested are positive, well, it's out of control.  Last week, I talked about how our area hospitals were nearly at their ICU capacity.  I talked about how, if you either get CoVID or if you just happen to need intensive medical care for any accidental or chronic reason, you might find that care unavailable.

So once again I'm asking you to limit your gatherings to essential meet-ups only.  That's all there is to it.

Also:

I just want to say a final farewell, and extend my deepest condolences to the family of Freeport High School teacher Robert Lordi.  I worked with Mr. Lordi for five years, did some teaching certification observation hours with him, and he passed away on December 27th.  He was a really great guy.

Thank you for reading.  Jesse Pohlman is an author from Long Island, New York.  He mostly writes Sci-Fi and Fantasy these days, which you can check out at his Amazon Author Page at this link!

TWF 308 - Area Hospitals Reaching ICU Capacity! (Covid Update #8)

 Greetings, Freeporters!

First, let me wish you happy holidays, whatever you celebrate!

Now, let me unfortunately have to dampen them.  Recently, I came across this article/document/tool from the New York Times.  It provides an updated-weekly list of all of the ICU beds available in hospitals, as well as the number of CoVID patients at each one.  Here is the headline information from my check just now:

The news is grim, friends:  We are nearly at maximum capacity for ICU beds.  What that means is that, if you should have a bad car accident, or a stroke, or a heart attack, or a severely injury due to a fall on the snow, or any kind of just-bad-luck that happens, you might not be able to get an ICU bed.

A simple plea.

I know it's the holidays.  With that said, I want you to take a look at this chart:

Did you notice how, even two months ago, the Coronavirus numbers were starting to grow significantly?  And do you notice how, in the last month (say, since November 26th?), that number has grown drastically and remained at a high, sustained level?

Look, I know nobody wants to hear this, but it's the truth:

Please don't go out and have a big Christmas get-together?

I'm not saying don't see A person or two.  I'm just saying that CoVID is a virus we can't easily detect - one that can slip into a young person undetected and infect their entire family in hours, family members who aren't young, don't stay asymptomatic, and do end up needing hospital-level care.

I have had family members who have gotten CoVID.

I have had good friends be struck down for months from CoVID.

I know you have, too.

So just...

...Please be smart, this holiday?  Especially with who you see?  If you must go out, quarantine and get tested if you can.  Just be advised: If you try to walk in, you're going to wait hours to get tested.  I know this first-hand, I needed a test for a procedure and I had to wait for two hours.  And I was HAPPY it was only two hours, and that I was allowed to wait in my car where it was warm, because I've seen night-time lines wrapped around other locations.

Thank you for reading.  Jesse Pohlman is an author from Long Island, New York.  He mostly writes Sci-Fi and Fantasy these days, which you can check out at his Amazon Author Page at this link!