Charles Austin wrote:
We just cannot avoid the shocking idiocies.
The governor of Michigan announced plans to deal with the soaring infection rates.
They include some shutdowns of restaurants, casinos and theaters.
I respond:
Rev. Austin, what isn’t noted is that the fatality rates are plummeting. Here in Washington state the fatality from this virus was over 4. Now, as the virus has moved into the general, healthier population, the fatality rate is 1.89, which means that it has been even lower these past few months.
Yes, we should protect the most vulnerable, and we should encourage safe practices. Moreover, in our corporate gatherings we should take into account that many parishioners are in vulnerable categories. However, we should also recognize that for the vast majority of people this virus will come and go without causing death or long- term, debilitating consequences and let people engage in their activities.
Peterm wrote:
An additional part of the challenge Jeff, at least in our area, has nothing to do with the fatality rate which is indeed sinking Thanks be to God, but the infection rate and rise in hospitalizations. Whether or not death results, our hospitals , ALL of them within 100 mile, are filling at an alarming rate with COVID patients. So, regardless of the death rate, the toll on our care systems here in rural Iowa and the people who staff them, is staggering. This also needs to be considered when talking about things like mask mandates and calls to limit gatherings etc.
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James Rustad wrote:
Wisconsin DHS reports the State Fair Park Alternate Care Facility patient population is 17 as of 11:00 am today. The facility has currently has 530 patient spaces and could expand to 754 patient spaces. The first patient was admitted in October. Note that this is an overflow facility, so it is clear that some Wisconsin hospitals are full enough to transfer patients to it. It's not clear how many hospitals are at or near capacity as the number of COVID cases varies by locality.
https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/alternate-care-facility.htmI respond:
I appreciate the concern of hospitals reaching capacity and I appreciate the work that hospital personnel are doing. That said, what is capacity? Hospitals designate various areas or wings. There are likely only a certain number of beds available. So what is capacity at the hospitals which are transferring- 8, 16, 24... 200. I don’t want to minimize this, but it makes a difference in how one views those 530 patient spaces that are available.
The county in which I live has had 4251 cases since the outbreak. 3347 have recovered and 24 have died. There are currently 880 active cases. Of these, 18 are currently hospitalized, approximately 2% of active cases. Given the fact that we know there are certain segments of our society which are far and away more at risk of severe developments, I still think is preferable to shelter those most at risk while avoiding the draconian measures that some have imposed.
Btw, while many here complain about masks, more than 90% of us use them in indoor public places such as stores, offices, churches, etc.
Jeff