Coronavirus: and the beat goes on…and on…and on

Latin America World

Chivis Martinez for Borderland Beat

United States 350,000,000 population: 7324 cases 115 Deaths 3.18.20

  • A Treasury Department proposal sent to lawmakers calls for $250 billion in direct payments to Americans starting April 6, with another $250 billion round on May 18. Each check is for the amount of 1000. 
  • Trudeau and Trump jointly agree to close Canada-US border to all except cargo.
  • Kansas closed schools for the remainder of school year
  • Don’t be alarmed as case numbers climb dramatically,  backlog is being processed through “high input rapid result” testing.
  • Thousands cheer the Vive Latino festival in Mexico City, Saturday, March 14, 2020.

    In this fluid story of the corona virus, I was asked to create a forum by which BB followers could ask questions and provide information.


    I will give this a go and see what happens.  No political or unproven information will make the cut.  
    As many of you know, my husband has been in China during this time. I have been commenting about the status of China.  He is fine, bored but fine.  He reports life returning to normal. Traffic, factory operations becoming normal.  It is still against regulations/law to go outdoors without a mask. 
    Speaking of masks.  Health professionals say we don’t need them.  It is more important to distance ourselves, and wash hands, was hands, wash hands.

    But if you insist on masks, wear N95.  Anything else is completely useless.
    PLEASE AVOID HOARDING
    In China there are no depletion of household items and food.  Because citizens are not hoarding, but rather they are shopping as they normally do.  Medial masks are the exception.  But even those are now available.
    My niece is an executive of a large food chain.  They are working double shifts.  They have ordered their market chains to open special hours for seniors only. Quite dilatory I say.  She does say in 2 weeks supplies will be back per normal.
    To give you an idea how much over buying is occurring….a normal intake per day for markets are around 200k, during this crisis it is over a million.  Please think of the seniors living on the once a month SS checks, or single parents living paycheck to paycheck and others who can’t go out and drop 1 to 4 thousand on hoards that deplete the supply.
    Cases spread across the country with concentrations in NY, California and Washington State
    If you know someone in your life or a neighbor that may be affected, share, and help them.  I spent the last 2 days doing just that.   I buy on Amazon by subscription every 3 or 4 months and just rec a shipment when this happened.  Therefore I was in toilet paper, paper towel heaven, plus detergents, coffee, pasta, beans etc etc etc.  I have been sharing. 
    Drive through testing is now available.   If your doc orders one.
    The early tests in other countries had a high percent of false positives.  The ones in the US have a high degree of accuracy and new ones have a turnaround time in hours.  By Trump opening the test development to private enterprise and cancelling old regulations, pharma and lab companies were able to respond quickly to the need.
    Fear drives all things negative.  Calm down, don’t listen to social media, or even the news, I go to the source each day, to these websites:
    Today Mexico is beginning to put in place restrictions. However AMLO said he did not feel the need for community distancing.  Just days ago a massive Vive Latino festival in Mexico City, was held on Saturday, March 14, 2020.

    Mexico has no deaths from the virus as of today. Which is good news, as they are woefully underprepared to cope with the virus becoming  widespread. Their underfunded and failed health system would collapse quickly with a strain of widespread transmission.

    Mexico has some private health systems and hospitals but mostly it is an universal healthcare system that is fragile and vulnerable, and financially weak.

    MEDICATIONS
    This week China has threatened to withhold ingredients the U.S. needs for the manufacturing of medications.  90% comes from China and India, mostly China.  A top level official says China can “Throw the U.S. into the sea of the coronavirus.  President Trump was asked about this and he was firm in his answer “they will not do that”…as to say they don’t dare.   These nasty tidbits come from China president Xi’s surrogates.  But be assured the message comes from the top in a way to send a message or test the waters.
    Trump met with insurance companies last week.  They and Medicare agreed to override usually scheduling so that people could get an “emergency” 3 month supply of meds.  Please assure that those most vulnerable in your life knows this.

    Typically, insurance companies have a schedule of 30 to 90 days when you can renew.  For example for 30 day supply refills will not be approved before the 26th day.  Now however that will be waived.  I was able to get my aunts emergency supply yesterday.


    Mexico City has 82 confirmed cases

    If you are a senior with underlying medical issues you are most targeting by this virus.  The average age of death is high 70s.  If you are younger but have a medical issue you also are in danger.


    I convinced my 89 yr old aunt to self-quarantine.  This after having to explain what the coronavirus is.   “I wondered what they were talking about”  (she refuses to wear her hearing aids) She is the second oldest of the Martínez Clan.  Make sure the elders in your life are watched and cared for.
     

    Brad Paisley’s delivering free groceries to the elderly 

#border