The governor of New York has asked hospitals in the state to report two covid counts--the number of patients being treated for symptoms of covid and the number of patients admitted for something else but who tested positive for covid when checked. Forty hospitals in the state have postponed elective surgeries due to the number of patients they have. The state recorded 130 deaths Thursday, the highest since vaccinations became available. New York City suspended service on three out of 22 subway kines and reduced service on others; 21 percent of operators and conductors are out sick. So are 21 percent of police personnel, 30 percent of emergency medical personnel, and 17 percent of fire officials.
Some people have said that they stopped taking government directives so seriously after the CDC cut their quarantine requirement in half. A tourist in New York City elaborates, "The reality is that everyone is fatigued by the pandemic, and at this point everyone knows they should be doing what they can to stay safe. But at this point we're in a 'fuck it' phase." I don't know that there is a cure, but is there even a treatment for pandemic fatigue? Getting those who aren't yet vaccinated, vaccinated? They seem impervious to scientific information about what it will take to move "pandemic" to "endemic." What else might work? I don't expect that I will, but if I think of anything, I'll let you know.
Schools here were supposed to re-open from winter holidays on Tuesday. Due to winter weather, they didn't open at all. Weather aside, many US schools are having a problem re-opening due to resistance from teachers with concerns over staffing shortages, lack of personal protective equipment, difficulties with covid testing, and just plain overall working conditions. Class sizes are growing as more teachers leave, and planning time is often taken away to allow one teacher to substitute for a colleague who is out sick. As I've said before, I am so very glad that we no longer have kids in school.
It seems that one in three US states have banned vaccine mandates for schools. Only four states--well, three states and the District of Columbia--expressly have school vaccine mandates: California, Louisiana, and Illinois. The states that have banned such mandates are New Hampshire, Idaho, Montana, Vermont, South Dakota, Ohio, Indiana, Arizona, Kansas, Tennessee, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, and Florida. I refuse to look up how many of those, and it might be all of those, have Republican governors and/or state legislatures. I don't need to raise my blood pressure higher than it already might be.
As for the face, it seems to be healing. It at least feels no worse. I can't say that it looks no worse because it does seem to look worse each day. I have a follow-up appointment on Wednesday. Who knows what it might look like then?
1 comment:
Re: banning vaccine mandates, PA would be there except we do have a Dem governor who likely would (or already did) veto such a bill.
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