Muh Muh Muh My Corona (virus)

Everything is fine. We just need to get people back to work.

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — El Paso’s coronavirus situation continues to worsen, as a record number of new cases and hospitalizations were reported Monday.

There were 1,443 new cases reported by the City of El Paso Department of Health on Monday. The high was expected because data was released late Saturday from an increase in testing throughout El Paso. Officials said more than 25,000 tests were administered over a three-day period from Wednesday to Friday.

Health officials also reported 118 weeks-old cases that are part of the delayed local results issued by the State.

Hospitalizations continue to rise to the highest the city has ever seen, as evidenced by increased capacity at area hospitals: 853 were reported Monday, another record high. There are 180 individuals in the ICU.

Auxiliary medical units (AMU) have been set up at the El Paso Convention Center in Downtown that will have a 50-bed capacity, in addition to AMUs that were set up at area hospitals to provide on-site surge capacity. The AMUs will be fully supplied and staffed for each site, offering up to 100 additional beds per hospital.​

El Paso's COVID-19 situation worsens as record new cases and hospitalizations reported

El Paso County urging school districts to suspend athletics due to COVID-19 | KTSM 9 News

 

Our hybrid is terrible. We just started it across the board for everyone. Younger kids have been doing it for about a month, but older kids only started it last week. Virtual was going well. Hybrid is nonsense. And they had how long to plan for it? We ended up with a snow day today but if not my 10th grader would have had zero work today. The way the schedule works out, he is only in person with any given class one time a week. If they don't do anything outside of that one meeting, how can they get any work done? We're going to find out really quickly if school is necessary or not.

 

A few random related things:

1. We were on a schedule where half the kids came Mon/Tues, nobody Wed, the other half Thurs/Fri. We didn't have any major issues. We had a week off for fall break. Last Monday, it was full blown throw the doors open. By Thursday, I tested positive. We had another teacher and a janitor have to go get tested today.

2. Another teacher and I both were sent to test Thursday. I was obviously positive. He was negative. I'm out of commission until Nov. 2. I don't have to have another test or anything. As long as I don't have symptoms, I come on back like nothing ever happened. He was required to get a second test today. How does that make sense? The person who was positive is good to go. The person who was negative has to prove they are negative.

3. Trying to get his second test was something else. He was required to get it. The local place where we both got tested the first time told him they wouldn't test the same person twice. He called the next town over. They asked if he was a teacher. He said yes. The responded by saying, "We don't test teachers." and literally hung up on him. He finally got tested two counties over.

4. Our school numbers are dwindling because people are pulling their kids left and right.

5. I'm now on day five of this and honestly feel fine. The fevers Thursday night were awful, but that's the worst symptom I've had. I actually got out and did yard work Saturday and Sunday because I figured being outside was the best distancing I could do. I'm still keeping close tabs on the timeline where I might have passed it along to my mom.

 

Interesting piece at the Atlantic about fear and tribalism and safety.

The Difference Between Feeling Safe and Being Safe

 

Glad you're feeling better, Driftwood.

And among the many things we've botched as a nation with COVID-19, testing is near the top of the list. Availability of testing, accuracy of testing, who gets tested. All over the map.

 

Terrific. Glad to see you believe the news from Russia.

Today. Only. And not again until we see something else we like.

 

but what about the vaccine

 

@Starman Holding on to hope for good outcomes for your family.

 

The massive amounts of clean, beautiful lumps of coal to be delivered in two months could do more for that industry than Trump has.

 

Colleges Slash Budgets in the Pandemic, With 'Nothing Off-Limits'

 

Once the Biden administration outlaws coal, will Santa give the bad kids windmill blades?