COVID-19

I saw an article today, now out of ICU beds and respirators here.  Watch the death rate start to take off!

https://eldia.com.do/sociedad-medicina- … NYI4MI1pcA

Dr. Báez warns: 34% positivity and upturn in COVID-19 cases per election week

https://elnuevodiario.com.do/dr-baez-ad … electoral/

Elections out of the way and so now it is time to deal with the worsening covid19 crisis in the country......

There is only one proven way to reduce the spread of covid19 and that involves some form of isolation between people. Masks are not enough. Enforced isolation measures are the only effective way forward anywhere if the spread is large which it is in most of the Americas and DR.

And to boot, after a large study in Spain as reported in The Lancet, immunity from covid19 is looking far less widespread. Confirms other studies.

Lifestyle changes needed.

In the article it says....

"The Government of the Dominican Republic declared the national territory an epidemic last Tuesday, to replace the state of emergency, which was in force from March 19 to June 30".

What does "the national territory an epidemic" differ from "state of emergency"

Thanks

Bulletin # 109

Total cases               38128       Increase    703
Total deaths                 804       Increase       10
Total recovered       19489       Increase     546
Total active                17835      Increase     147
Total tests                 169999     Increase    2627     Day positivity    26.8%

Spread of new cases

DN                                     217
Azua                                    21
Dajabon                               4
Duarte                                  7
El Seibo                                5
Espaillat                               2
Independencia                   1
La Altagracia                       24
La Romana                          38
La Vega                                33
Maria TS                                7
Peravia                                  3
Puerto Plata                        15
Hermanas M                        3
San Cristobal                       19
San Juan                                8
SPM                                       10
Sanchez Ramirez                 10
Santiago                                83
Monsenor N                           5
Monte Plata                            2
Santo Domingo                    187
Not specified                         -1

People on social media already  claiming we have peaked and elections and covid are both over. Good grief.

Even the anti current government medical college is now saying the worst of covid19 is to come.

https://m.noticiassin.com/colegio-medic … or-llegar/

You cant wish this virus away on social media. Its here and expanding and only forms of isolation will control it now.

Never been anywhere near a peak since Easter. Its up and up more steeply now.

Agreed, so numbers go down one day and they are all relieved!   testing is down, numbers are not.

Thats why you have to look at 3 or more day averages and also look at the detail such as the positivity trends and where the cases are occurring and the number of tests and positivity in those locations.

Simple fact. DR is not testing sufficiently to be able to understand the extent of the spread. It is obvioulsy much higher and wider than the daily numbers and more tests would almost certainly result in many more cases.

Anyhow a look at the bing graphs in the attachment tells you everything. DR is exploding upwards and no amount of mask use will stop this rise which is going to get worse in the next two weeks with the election and open borders/hotels/restaurants/gyms effects kicking in.

https://www.bing.com/covid/local/domini … vert=graph

Yes it's getting worse, there's been an election, a decision has been made by the people, as I understand nothing happens till 16 August.  So who governs now until the 16 August?  Or is everything in limbo till that date.  Very strange politics!

COVID-19 RD: warn of an increase in patients in intensive care

https://hoy.com.do/covid-19-rd-alertan- … ntensivos/

The Dominican Society of Critical Medicine and Intensive Care (SODEMECU), today alerted the High Level Commission of the Executive Power, the Emergency Health Committee and the Ministry of Public Health about the significant increase in patients incarcerated in the different Care Units. Intensive.

"This is why we confirm through this statement that it is urgent to enable new ICUs, increase the number of beds, ventilators and, above all, health personnel who can give support and intervene in the process of combating the pandemic," he stressed.

He added that: "We hope that the pertinent authorities will echo this call and thus prevent the health system from being crippled or totally incapacitated by Covid 19."

Doctor warns COVID-19 combat in DR cannot wait for Luis Abinader

https://hoy.com.do/doctor-advierte-comb … -abinader/

Dr. Carlos Sánchez warned today that to combat COVID-19, you cannot wait on August 16 for the health authorities of the current government to sit down to work with the health area technicians of President-elect Luis Abinader, so that together review the plans and start implementing new measures.

The epidemiologist pointed out that the next 15 days will be crucial to stop the advance of covid-19 and prevent the pandemic from spiraling into contagion, causing the health system to collapse and forcing the country's new authorities to take unwanted measures that deepen the economic crisis.

"In recent weeks the contagion rate is increasing exponentially and has been above 20%, as happened in the months of March and April this year," said the doctor. 

Sánchez sees the need to hire more human resources to help with Primary Care tasks and strengthen the epidemiological surveillance system.
Publicidad

"In addition, the bed occupancy rate in intensive care units indicates that it does not hold up for another week equal to the one that ended yesterday, causing a part of the population to be left unattended and, as a consequence, a considerable increase in the rate of lethality », he maintained.

Lennox i absolutely understand and agree. Sadly most have no idea how to even figure out what is going on and many just don't want to.

Ducketts - the current govt can do something if they choose to and the incoming govt could request them the take action as well.   

Hospital beds - we were told this was coming and they did the opposite of what was needed!

Thanks.  I've said this before but why don't they do local lock-downs with the most affected cities/towns-  I can think of 4 immediately including Santo Domingo.

Have they thought of building or converting large spaces into temporary hospitals like the Nightingales in the UK.  I think 6-7 were build just inc case, the largest in London with 4000 beds-fully equipped.  They were little used and today they are empty but kept on stand by.

well a lockdown of the main cities brings this country to a halt!  Seriously everything comes from SD and Santiago.

Second -  we do not have the  capacity to just create hospitals.   The logistics of just getting electricity would be daunting.

Really the biggest issue is not beds and a room, the biggest issue is a HUGE lack of  qualified medical attendees.  Currently if someone is in ICU they must have someone stay with them. Those people are also now in isolation and just hoping they dont get it as well!   They do not have enough emergency and ICU doctors or nurses and they certainly do not have enough respiratory technicians!    I for one am making sure I do not get it as I am scared to death of needing their advanced medical help!

Simple. Whatever age you are - you don't want to get covid19

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/06/coronavirus-covid-19-mild-symptoms-who

Think a 'mild' case of Covid-19 doesn’t sound so bad? Think again

Otherwise healthy people who thought they had recovered from coronavirus are reporting persistent and strange symptoms - including strokes

Read it. And adapt they way you live to ensure you don't get it!

Scottish universities join Covid-19 long-term health impact study

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-ta … l-53298037

It will attempt to understand why some people recover more quickly than others and why some patients develop subsequent health problems.

The study will also identifying the most effective treatments received in hospital or afterwards and how to improve patient care after they are discharged.

Patients on the study will be assessed using techniques such as advanced imaging, data collection and analysis of blood and lung samples.

It isn't a simple disease...

Nick Cordero - from Hamilton ON. ---a Latino

Nick Cordero, a musical theater actor whose intimidating height and effortless charm brought him a series of tough-guy roles on Broadway, died on Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 41.
His death was announced on Instagram by his wife, Amanda Kloots. The couple, who moved from New York to Los Angeles last year, have a 1-year-old son, Elvis.
“My darling husband passed away this morning,” she wrote. “He was surrounded in love by his family, singing and praying as he gently left this earth.”
She did not cite a cause, but he had been hospitalized for three months after contracting the coronavirus.

Mr. Cordero’s experience with the virus, which included weeks in a medically induced coma and the amputation of his right leg, was chronicled by Ms. Kloots on Instagram.

Mr. Cordero fell ill on March 20 with what was initially diagnosed as pneumonia and later as Covid-19, Ms. Kloots said in a series of Instagram posts.
For weeks, he was kept alive with extensive treatment, including the use of a ventilator, dialysis and a specialized heart-lung bypass machine; he endured brief heart stoppage, minor heart attacks and sepsis, Ms. Kloots said, as well as the leg amputation and a tracheotomy

Ms. Kloots’s frequent updates on Instagram, interspersed with short video clips from well-wishers, periodically had encouraging news; on April 24, Ms. Kloots said that Mr. Cordero had two negative Covid-19 tests.

“We think the virus is out of his system, and now we’re just dealing with recovery and getting his body back from all the repercussions of the virus,” she said. And on May 12, she said he had woken up after the lengthy medically induced coma.

But he continued to battle a lung infection, and by May 20 she told her followers that “unfortunately things are going a little downhill at the moment” and asked for prayers.

In recent weeks, he had been able to respond to some communication with his eyes but remained immobile, according to his wife.

Heartbreaking!

ANÁLISIS ESTADÍSTICO DE LA EVOLUCIÓN DEL
VIRUS EN LA REPÚBLICA DOMINICANA   INFORME #91

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SLi7cI … 1kt-h/view

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news … 5-almost-0

So what?  what is your point of posting that article?  For those who died its ok?  For those who lost someone that age its ok?   

And for those who  got sick and now have LONG TERM EFFECTS, thats okay too?   

Currently in hospital right now in Florida with Covid  half are under  50!   Are all of those ok?

This is taking a toll on many people but panic is the root of all evil.  Stay calm, do what you are able to do safely.  Try to relax.  My interpretation of the article is to bring hope to some people, try to think positive.  Look at the positive issues, look at how many have recovered, look at the declining death rate.  Stay calm, enjoy your day.

The root of the problem is that people are damn sefish and are still looking for reasons to hope that this virus will disappear or be minimalized.

The stark reality is that is is expanding much faster now and is affecting us all in a global economy increasingly and unless we adapt and control it's effect the consequences are dire for a large chunk of humanity.

The death rate is not the issue on which to focus. The number of deaths has much greater meaning to most people with sentiments and caring societies.

There is little good to focus on. The number of active cases is huge and the long term damaging health effects on those that have caught the disease are only now being understood. The health services around the world will be under pressure for a very long time ahead, and countries without social support and health  provision for all will be facing civil strife in a matter of months.

It is time for the selfish to wake up and act in their long term interests and work to control covid19 and follow the examples in Europe and Asia.

Well said Lennox.  There is no PANIC going on here, but stark reality of the situation.   

Lowering death rates are a mathematical equation and nothing more.  I  refuse to minimize this.

Planner, Lennox you can be absolutely correct but you must have noticed by now that the entire world does not think nor process information the way you do.  My opinion is shoving information down people's throats doesn't mean they can digest it. 

This is supposed to be a public forum and everyone's opinion should count.  If you want to push your personal agenda, I suggest you start a new website...IMHO.

Two sides to every story and I listen to both sides and not push one like you are. We don't know the true effects right now and may not know for many years.

Do you not live your life and just stay in?

You have economic depression besides covid that is a big factor not to discount.

I do not discount covid and people should wear masks in public places until we learn more but right now death rates are not high in context of other diseases. Many places are including non covid deaths as the result of covid. Is that right?

Did we stop everything with the flu?

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/ … vs-the-flu

Bulletin #110

Total confirmed cases   38430     Increase  302
Total deaths                       821      Increase     17
Total recovered               19564    Increase     75
Total active                        18045    Increase    210
Total tests                       171097    Increase    1098    day positivity  27.5%

Spread

DN                       156
Azua                        3
Baoruco                 1
Elias Pina                1
La Altagracia          2
Puerto Plata           1
San Cristobal        13
San Juan                 5
SPM                         3 
Monsenor N           2
Monte Plata           1
Hato Mayor            4
San Jose                  1
Santo Domingo     108
Not specified          1

Very low testing I assume due to the elections. But still high positve ratios

Back to the state of emergency? Medina meets today with a commission and they will propose to retake it

https://noticiassin.com/de-vuelta-al-es … retomarlo/

This was the big rumour amongst Dominicans that after the election there would be a return to curfew and now the politics are different.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/07/busi … e=Homepage

Did we stop everything with the flu?
In reply to your last question, the basic difference now is that there is NO KNOWN treatment and any treatments that are being found/developed have to be sanctioned by the world medical authorities. THat is what is different from the flu.
True, we need to read and listen to all sides of the story but the bottomline, here in the DR, that/those items of information are not seen/heard/read or understood by the masses. Economic and also SOCIAL needs makes the majority resume living in such a way that is a catalyst for spreading this virus, as I think all reading here will agree. Unfortunately, economic needs are very great here and many folks do see what is happening in the USA and in part, I think, follow the lead they witness there, not knowing the effects of the virus there....my opinion at least.....
For myself, basically being a visitor as well, I spend time translating info and informing the local folks around me. I don't live in a gated community but it is semi-isolated and very few "outsiders" come around, that I have seen. Makes me as cautious as all get out when I have to head into Moca where I see no social distancing etc. I dislike cities and this virus is one more reason to my other ones for such. Take care everyone.....I tip my daily beer to you all.....cheers

US has withdrawn from the World Health Organization

That was 6 weeks ago

Lets see what the government does now.

ANÁLISIS ESTADÍSTICO DE LA EVOLUCIÓN DEL
VIRUS EN LA REPÚBLICA DOMINICANA  INFORME #92

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10VelHl … 1noqL/view

As Sweden has shown, you can't carry on as normal and let covid19 spread without controls. The economy suffers with covid19 uncontrolled. See NYT article above.

For once all DR's medical scientists are singing the same tune and they recommend a new state of emergency with hospitals near breaking point now in the main cities.

CMD recommends that they declare a state of emergency due to an increase in cases of COVID-19

https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/ … EG19977614

President meets with the health emergency committee

https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/ … EG19977928

Bulletin # 111

Total confirmed cases      39588      Increase       1158   2nd highest
Total deaths                           829      Increase              8
Total recovered                   20056    Increase          492
Total active                           18703    Increase          658
Total tests                            174751   Increase        3654   Day positivity    31.7%

Spread of new cases

DN                                  378
Azua                                   26
Dajabon                              2
Duarte                                5
El Seibo                               1
Espaillat                             10
Independencia                  20
La Altagracia                      31
La Romana                        30
La Vega                              53
Maria TS                              6
Monte Cristi                       3
Peravia                               5
Puerto Plata                      31
San Cristobal                     26
San Juan                              5
SPM                                      8
Sanchez Ramirez               10
Santiago                             221
Valverde                             5
Monsenor N                       8
Monte Plata                        1
Hato Mayor                        1
San Jose                             13
Santo Domingo                252
Not Specified                     7

Abinader creates transfer commissions and develops an alliance with Medina for COVID-19

https://noticiassin.com/abinader-crea-c … -covid-19/

SANTO DOMINGO.- The president-elect of the Republic, Luis Abinader, informed the outgoing president, Danilo Medina, that he will maintain constant communication to discuss measures related to COVID-19.

"We are going to have a communication on that important issue, to see what we can do, it is a nation issue, it is a country issue," he said.

They are on the same page now, so wait to see what happens and if a state of emergency touted yesterday is announced later.

Yes back to our increase in  testing and high positive rates!   I hope there is some kind of shutdown!

ANÁLISIS ESTADÍSTICO DE LA EVOLUCIÓN DEL
VIRUS EN LA REPÚBLICA DOMINICANA  INFORME #93

https://drive.google.com/file/d/140MWVd … XB2gB/view

Santiago hospitals are now saturated with covid19 cases and as the memo by a hospital in that city, they will have to chose who to treat.

HOMS informs patients will prioritize "the longest life expectancy" by COVID-19

https://elnuevodiario.com.do/homs-infor … -covid-19/

EL NUEVO DIARIO, SANTO DOMINGO.- The Santiago Metropolitan Hospital (HOMS) issued an informed consent to patients who come to its facilities due to COVID-19 infection, informing that they implement a selection process since their emergency, which they assure is based in favoring people with "the highest life expectancy", this due to the saturation they have of their Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

"We want him to be aware, that we may find ourselves in this exceptional situation, in which we may be forced to apply selection systems for the care of the most serious patients," reads part of the Homs statement.