Two months ago, in February, an MRI revealed a "mass" near a gland in my wife's neck: an apparent parotid lipoma. Most such "masses" are benign and slow-growing, but not all of them. The doctor recommended a follow-up MRI in mid-April, to see if the "mass" had changed. We made our appointment.
In early April, however, the imaging center, across the state line in Delaware, informed us that all imaging centers in the healthcare chain we use, save one, would be closing due to Wuhan coronavirus. That one remaining center would be open only for the highest priority cases, and that does not include tracking the progress of a "mass". The scheduler informed us, with all due gravity and seriousness, of the fact that one Delaware resident had already died from the Wuhan coronavirus. To put this into context, approximately 23 Delawareans die every day on average.
This morning, we had a tele-conference with the doctor. There was little we could discuss without a new MRI scan. The doctor shared much interesting information, however.
The major hospital in northern Delaware performs about 180 surgeries per day in ordinary times. However, they have reduced surgeries by about 80%. (So much for overwhelming the system.) The triage rule for medical care is excruciatingly stingy; the only patients who can receive surgery are those who would die, or suffer loss of limb or vision, within 2 weeks.
Again: if you are gravely ill but could be expected to die 3 weeks from now, the local healthcare system will not operate on you. After all, if you come into their facilities, you might get sick or make someone sick!
I do not want to single out this particular health care conglomerate for opprobrium; many healthcare systems under the control of a certain political party have rationed care to the point of denying care. I have read the harrowing account of a woman's horrifying suffering in a Virginia hospital because the governor forbids the prescription of hydroxychloroquine for treating Wuhan coronavirus.
The governors of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and other states have assumed godlike powers of decision about what medical procedures are "elective" and which are not. Abortion is an "essential" activity, but following the progress of a tumor is not essential.
Yesterday, while driving on our first shopping trip in 3 weeks, we observed many closed businesses, including businesses closed permanently. The customers could not be trusted to determine which businesses are essential, so the governors did it for them. The wholesaler we patronized sells clothing, office supplies, hardware, garden supplies, and so on, like many of the closed businesses we saw; but the food sold by the wholesaler enabled the entire business to remain open. I recommend that all businesses sell snacks and beverages to qualify as "essential".
The graphic below depicts the number of deaths from Wuhan coronavirus as of April 19. New York City (5 counties) comprises some 35% of the national total, in red. The orange slices are 7 counties in the New York City metropolitan area. The 3 yellow counties are other hard-hit counties (and one county-equivalent). Green represents the rest of the country, about 47% of the total.
In early April, however, the imaging center, across the state line in Delaware, informed us that all imaging centers in the healthcare chain we use, save one, would be closing due to Wuhan coronavirus. That one remaining center would be open only for the highest priority cases, and that does not include tracking the progress of a "mass". The scheduler informed us, with all due gravity and seriousness, of the fact that one Delaware resident had already died from the Wuhan coronavirus. To put this into context, approximately 23 Delawareans die every day on average.
This morning, we had a tele-conference with the doctor. There was little we could discuss without a new MRI scan. The doctor shared much interesting information, however.
The major hospital in northern Delaware performs about 180 surgeries per day in ordinary times. However, they have reduced surgeries by about 80%. (So much for overwhelming the system.) The triage rule for medical care is excruciatingly stingy; the only patients who can receive surgery are those who would die, or suffer loss of limb or vision, within 2 weeks.
Again: if you are gravely ill but could be expected to die 3 weeks from now, the local healthcare system will not operate on you. After all, if you come into their facilities, you might get sick or make someone sick!
I do not want to single out this particular health care conglomerate for opprobrium; many healthcare systems under the control of a certain political party have rationed care to the point of denying care. I have read the harrowing account of a woman's horrifying suffering in a Virginia hospital because the governor forbids the prescription of hydroxychloroquine for treating Wuhan coronavirus.
The governors of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and other states have assumed godlike powers of decision about what medical procedures are "elective" and which are not. Abortion is an "essential" activity, but following the progress of a tumor is not essential.
Yesterday, while driving on our first shopping trip in 3 weeks, we observed many closed businesses, including businesses closed permanently. The customers could not be trusted to determine which businesses are essential, so the governors did it for them. The wholesaler we patronized sells clothing, office supplies, hardware, garden supplies, and so on, like many of the closed businesses we saw; but the food sold by the wholesaler enabled the entire business to remain open. I recommend that all businesses sell snacks and beverages to qualify as "essential".
The graphic below depicts the number of deaths from Wuhan coronavirus as of April 19. New York City (5 counties) comprises some 35% of the national total, in red. The orange slices are 7 counties in the New York City metropolitan area. The 3 yellow counties are other hard-hit counties (and one county-equivalent). Green represents the rest of the country, about 47% of the total.
The graphic below depicts Wuhan coronavirus deaths rate per 1 million population in the USA as of April 19. We use the same color coding. Notice that when these 15 counties and county-equivalents are removed from the USA total, the death rate drops to about half the current national average.
The following graphic shows these counties on a national map. Please do not misinterpret this map. Wuhan coronavirus does exist outside the colored counties, but at a lower rate.
The question has to be asked: is the cure worse than the disease? The answer is complex. The disease is fatal for a small number of people, especially those who are older and have certain pre-existing medical conditions. The disease lingers for some survivors in unpleasant forms. Wuhan coronavirus must be taken seriously.
However, social distancing, which is effective for containment, does not require stay-at-home orders, which are not effective for containment, according to a second such study I read today. Theoreticians who are monomaniacally focused on the eradication of the Wuhan coronavirus, and the politicians who follow their recommendations, are willing to sacrifice the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans who will not get the medical care they need, not to mention the needless drug overdoses and suicides we will suffer in the next depression.
It is time to open up America, while maintaining social distancing, wearing face masks, and washing. Otherwise we will not have a country left to save.
However, social distancing, which is effective for containment, does not require stay-at-home orders, which are not effective for containment, according to a second such study I read today. Theoreticians who are monomaniacally focused on the eradication of the Wuhan coronavirus, and the politicians who follow their recommendations, are willing to sacrifice the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans who will not get the medical care they need, not to mention the needless drug overdoses and suicides we will suffer in the next depression.
It is time to open up America, while maintaining social distancing, wearing face masks, and washing. Otherwise we will not have a country left to save.
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