recently sent out an e-blast stating that my dental office was closed until further notice.
One of my patients contacted me, an ER doc at Alta Bates Hospital with a request....
Do you have any masks and/or face shields you can spare?

I was born at Alta Bates. For the last 27 years I went into it an average of 2 times a week. It is in the center of my neighborhood. I've had to enter the ER numerous times for either successfully being stupid, or for acute appendicitis. Of course I will answer the request.

Today's approach was surreal. Carrying my stock, as I approached the Alta Bates ER, one couldn't help but notice the circus sized tent. As I walked up the ramp, it became clear that this tent was set up for intake of COVID-19 victims. There were a series of gurnies and electronic vital sign monitors.
This is not the normal ER.

One of the nurses approached, he was aware I was coming. He took my gear and thanked me profusely.

This **** is here, and it is at my back door.

Let's Flatten The Curve!
Stay home, keep your distance from others and wash your hands.

Be Safe and Stay Healthy

Go Bears!!
Cal Band Great!!

I'm an Alta Bates grad too (Class of 1950) and wish I could report that things are better down here in Long Beach. We had to reopen once closed Long Beach Community hospital and everyone in the state is now in a brand new world. Like SF, we here in LA face an enormous homeless population that I fear will take away from our good intentions of social isolating and staying in. It's a tragedy that the homeless all of a sudden became a problem because they lack any health care or security net of any kind. Please keep them, along with our many compromised seniors and special needs Californians in your minds and reach out safely to them.

Heard of a van that is loaded with weapons,
Packed up and ready to go
Heard of some grave sites, out by the highway,
A place where nobody knows
The sound of gunfire, off in the distance,
I'm getting used to it now
Lived in a brownstone, lived in a ghetto,
I've lived all over this town
This ain't no party, this ain't no disco,
This ain't no fooling around
No time for dancing, or lovey dovey,
I ain't got time for that now
Transmit the message, to the receiver,
Hope for an answer some day
I got three passports, a couple of visas,
You don't even know my real name
High on a hillside, the trucks are loading,
Everything's ready to roll
I sleep in the daytime, I work in the nighttime,
I might not ever get home
Heard about Houston? Heard about Detroit?
Heard about Pittsburgh, P. A.?
You oughta know not to stand by the window
Somebody see you up there
I got some groceries, some peanut butter,
To last a couple of days
But I ain't got no speakers, ain't got no headphones,
Ain't got no records to play
Why stay in college? Why go to night school?
Gonna be different this time
Can't write a letter, can't send no postcard,
I ain't got time for that now
Trouble in transit, got through the roadblock,
We blended in with the crowd
We got computers, we're tapping phone lines,
I know that that ain't allowed
We dress like students, we dress like housewives,
Or in a suit and a tie
I changed my hairstyle, so many times now,
I don't know what I look like!
You make me shiver, I feel so tender,
We make a pretty good team
Don't get exhausted, I'll do some driving,
You ought to get you some sleep
Burned all my notebooks, what good are notebooks?
They won't help me survive
My chest is aching, burns like a furnace,
The burning keeps me alive

Talking Heads

https://www.berkeleyside.com/2020/03/21/man-80-reportedly-has-first-community-transmitted-covid-19-case-in-berkeley

OneTopOneChickenApple said:

---

https://www.berkeleyside.com/2020/03/21/man-80-reportedly-has-first-community-transmitted-covid-19-case-in-berkeley

---

Berkeley's first "lab-confirmed" case (through community spread), but I'd be shocked if it was the first actual case. We've gone WAY beyond that. Way beyond.

Let's flatten this curve!

Bears2thDoc said:

---

recently sent out an e-blast stating that my dental office was closed until further notice.
One of my patients contacted me, an ER doc at Alta Bates Hospital with a request....
Do you have any masks and/or face shields you can spare?

I was born at Alta Bates. For the last 27 years I went into it an average of 2 times a week. It is in the center of my neighborhood. I've had to enter the ER numerous times for either successfully being stupid, or for acute appendicitis. Of course I will answer the request.

Today's approach was surreal. Carrying my stock, as I approached the Alta Bates ER, one couldn't help but notice the circus sized tent. As I walked up the ramp, it became clear that this tent was set up for intake of COVID-19 victims. There were a series of gurnies and electronic vital sign monitors.
This is not the normal ER.

One of the nurses approached, he was aware I was coming. He took my gear and thanked me profusely.

This **** is here, and it is at my back door.

Let's Flatten The Curve!
Stay home, keep your distance from others and wash your hands.

Be Safe and Stay Healthy

Go Bears!!
Cal Band Great!!

---

Bears2thDoc,

How crowded was the tent and ER? Were there many patients in it?

I did not enter ER.
As for the tent, fortunately no patients that I saw...
Just preparedness.

FLATTEN THE CURVE

GO BEARS!!

I take it that this is a good example of how we need to keep our heads. We may see irregular things that might naturally shock us. But it may be advance preparedness for a surge that may or may not happen, depending on if the SIP order flattens the curve sufficiently. In other words, that which looks alarming could actually be a good thing.

Big C said:

---

OneTopOneChickenApple said:

---

https://www.berkeleyside.com/2020/03/21/man-80-reportedly-has-first-community-transmitted-covid-19-case-in-berkeley

---

Berkeley's first "lab-confirmed" case (through community spread), but I'd be shocked if it was the first actual case. We've gone WAY beyond that. Way beyond.

Let's flatten this curve!

---

He first started feeling sick on March 12th.

From the article:

"The man doesn't go out much in general, she said, but was at the Safeway at 1444 Shattuck Place, at Rose Street, last Sunday. She said she wanted people who visited that Safeway that day to know that. Throughout the coronavirus outbreak, public health officials have advised anyone who is feeling sick to stay home, self-isolate and call their doctor."

Yup. Shelter in place. Socially distance yourselves. Don't panic. When ventilators become short on supply, those who ignored these edicts should go to the back of the priority line.

Lots of people in LA not taking it seriously. Maybe we do need marshall law for a week or two.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-03-22/california-coronavirus-cases-deaths-rise-newsom%3f_amp=true

John Muir is apparently closing walk in urgent care, and separating based on symptom.

They also dont allow visitors, except for one parent at a time for pediatrics (yeah, having a sick infant and only one parent at a time is as terrible as it sounds, and no visitors at all is equally disturbing if you or a loved one are involved).

I am 50% sure I'll get it through my wife. My kid will get it through me, so no contact with the grandparents. Everything for the next 2 or 3 months will be sad in the best case.

burritos said:

---

Yup. Shelter in place. Socially distance yourselves. Don't panic. When ventilators become short on supply, those who ignored these edicts should go to the back of the priority line.

---

Not a bad recommendation
Our Fearless Leader after listening to Laura Ingram just announced that maybe we are overdoing it and the cure may be worse than the disease.

He is considering relaxing the social distancing requirements (except for people over 65.) after the initial 14-day shelter in place period expires.
[this is not a joke]
So it looks like President Trump is going return to his old ways and once again is set to ignore the medical experts and will take advice from TV talkshow hosts.

GivemTheAxe said:

---

burritos said:

---

Yup. Shelter in place. Socially distance yourselves. Don't panic. When ventilators become short on supply, those who ignored these edicts should go to the back of the priority line.

---

Not a bad recommendation
Our Fearless Leader after listening to Laura Ingram just announced that maybe we are overdoing it and the cure may be worse than the disease.

He is considering relaxing the social distancing requirements (except for people over 65.) after the initial 14-day shelter in place period expires.
[this is not a joke]
So it looks like President Trump is going return to his old ways and once again is set to ignore the medical experts and will take advice from TV talkshow hosts.

---

May God have mercy on us all!

GivemTheAxe said:

---

burritos said:

---

Yup. Shelter in place. Socially distance yourselves. Don't panic. When ventilators become short on supply, those who ignored these edicts should go to the back of the priority line.

---

Not a bad recommendation
Our Fearless Leader after listening to Laura Ingram just announced that maybe we are overdoing it and the cure may be worse than the disease.

He is considering relaxing the social distancing requirements (except for people over 65.) after the initial 14-day shelter in place period expires.
[this is not a joke]
So it looks like President Trump is going return to his old ways and once again is set to ignore the medical experts and will take advice from TV talkshow hosts.

---

It doesn't matter what he wants. He's interested in normalizing and getting people back to work so the market will bounce. People aren't doing the right thing, so cases will still be massively on the rise in 14 days. There's no chance the social distancing recommendation (let's call it what it is) gets relaxed. If anything, the NG will need to enforce mandatory restrictions at that point.

Northside91 said:

---

GivemTheAxe said:

---

burritos said:

---

Yup. Shelter in place. Socially distance yourselves. Don't panic. When ventilators become short on supply, those who ignored these edicts should go to the back of the priority line.

---

Not a bad recommendation
Our Fearless Leader after listening to Laura Ingram just announced that maybe we are overdoing it and the cure may be worse than the disease.

He is considering relaxing the social distancing requirements (except for people over 65.) after the initial 14-day shelter in place period expires.
[this is not a joke]
So it looks like President Trump is going return to his old ways and once again is set to ignore the medical experts and will take advice from TV talkshow hosts.

---

It doesn't matter what he wants. He's interested in normalizing and getting people back to work so the market will bounce. People aren't doing the right thing, so cases will still be massively on the rise in 14 days. There's no chance the social distancing recommendation (let's call it what it is) gets relaxed. If anything, the NG will need to enforce mandatory restrictions at that point.

---

That is the silver lining of him not taking timely action and instead forcing the governors and mayors to take action in the vacuum: He is not in control of the restrictions now.

Because he really wants this to go away and believe it is not real. In addition to the stock market, economy and thus his "great accomplishment" and reelection chances it is hitting his own business: hotels, clubs, golf courses and other properties hard. His campaign, GOP and related PAC fundraisers at Mar-a-Lago his DC hotel and other Trump properties were bringing in hundreds of $milions to him personally. He wants to get back to his rallies, attacking all his perceived enemies and money making. He is not a man with a strong grasp of reality in good days and due to his obvious Narcissistic Personality Disorder is prone to believing what he wants to be true, which is usually whatever is good for him or makes him look good (he may actually believe he is "the healthiest man ever elected president", had "the largest inauguration crowd in history" and that he is "always the smartest person in the room" "knows more about the military than the generals" "a stable genius."

The governors and mayors are stepping up. It is timely actions to slow the spread, and provide health care that are imperative. Economic stimulus will he needed, but acting like it must be rushed is conflating the two. If people get a $1,000 check in March or a $1,000 check in May, the economic impact will be $1,000.

Unfortunately the US now leads the world in new cases.

calumnus said:

---

Northside91 said:

---

GivemTheAxe said:

---

burritos said:

---

Yup. Shelter in place. Socially distance yourselves. Don't panic. When ventilators become short on supply, those who ignored these edicts should go to the back of the priority line.

---

Not a bad recommendation
Our Fearless Leader after listening to Laura Ingram just announced that maybe we are overdoing it and the cure may be worse than the disease.

He is considering relaxing the social distancing requirements (except for people over 65.) after the initial 14-day shelter in place period expires.
[this is not a joke]
So it looks like President Trump is going return to his old ways and once again is set to ignore the medical experts and will take advice from TV talkshow hosts.

---

It doesn't matter what he wants. He's interested in normalizing and getting people back to work so the market will bounce. People aren't doing the right thing, so cases will still be massively on the rise in 14 days. There's no chance the social distancing recommendation (let's call it what it is) gets relaxed. If anything, the NG will need to enforce mandatory restrictions at that point.

---

That is the silver lining of him not taking timely action and instead forcing the governors and mayors to take action in the vacuum: He is not in control of the restrictions now.

Because he really wants this to go away and believe it is not real. In addition to the stock market, economy and thus his "great accomplishment" and reelection chances it is hitting his own business: hotels, clubs, golf courses and other properties hard. His campaign, GOP and related PAC fundraisers at Mar-a-Lago his DC hotel and other Trump properties were bringing in hundreds of $milions to him personally. He wants to get back to his rallies, attacking all his perceived enemies and money making. He is not a man with a strong grasp of reality in good days and due to his obvious Narcissistic Personality Disorder is prone to believing what he wants to be true, which is usually whatever is good for him or makes him look good (he may actually believe he is "the healthiest man ever elected president", had "the largest inauguration crowd in history" and that he is "always the smartest person in the room" "knows more about the military than the generals" "a stable genius."

The governors and mayors are stepping up. It is timely actions to slow the spread, and provide health care that are imperative. Economic stimulus will he needed, but acting like it must be rushed is conflating the two. If people get a $1,000 check in March or a $1,000 check in May, the economic impact will be $1,000.

Unfortunately the US now leads the world in new cases.

---

Well I understand that Fauci is pushing back hard. He is saying "if you think the stock market is in trouble now, wait and see what happens if you relax a number of the restrictions then in a few weeks get a major spike in cases."

GivemTheAxe said:

---

Well I understand that Fauci is pushing back hard. He is saying "if you think the stock market is in trouble now, wait and see what happens if you relax a number of the restrictions then in a few weeks get a major spike in cases."

---

Dead people make terrible investors.

GivemTheAxe said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Northside91 said:

---

GivemTheAxe said:

---

burritos said:

---

Yup. Shelter in place. Socially distance yourselves. Don't panic. When ventilators become short on supply, those who ignored these edicts should go to the back of the priority line.

---

Not a bad recommendation
Our Fearless Leader after listening to Laura Ingram just announced that maybe we are overdoing it and the cure may be worse than the disease.

He is considering relaxing the social distancing requirements (except for people over 65.) after the initial 14-day shelter in place period expires.
[this is not a joke]
So it looks like President Trump is going return to his old ways and once again is set to ignore the medical experts and will take advice from TV talkshow hosts.

---

It doesn't matter what he wants. He's interested in normalizing and getting people back to work so the market will bounce. People aren't doing the right thing, so cases will still be massively on the rise in 14 days. There's no chance the social distancing recommendation (let's call it what it is) gets relaxed. If anything, the NG will need to enforce mandatory restrictions at that point.

---

That is the silver lining of him not taking timely action and instead forcing the governors and mayors to take action in the vacuum: He is not in control of the restrictions now.

Because he really wants this to go away and believe it is not real. In addition to the stock market, economy and thus his "great accomplishment" and reelection chances it is hitting his own business: hotels, clubs, golf courses and other properties hard. His campaign, GOP and related PAC fundraisers at Mar-a-Lago his DC hotel and other Trump properties were bringing in hundreds of $milions to him personally. He wants to get back to his rallies, attacking all his perceived enemies and money making. He is not a man with a strong grasp of reality in good days and due to his obvious Narcissistic Personality Disorder is prone to believing what he wants to be true, which is usually whatever is good for him or makes him look good (he may actually believe he is "the healthiest man ever elected president", had "the largest inauguration crowd in history" and that he is "always the smartest person in the room" "knows more about the military than the generals" "a stable genius."

The governors and mayors are stepping up. It is timely actions to slow the spread, and provide health care that are imperative. Economic stimulus will he needed, but acting like it must be rushed is conflating the two. If people get a $1,000 check in March or a $1,000 check in May, the economic impact will be $1,000.

Unfortunately the US now leads the world in new cases.

---

Well I understand that Fauci is pushing back hard. He is saying "if you think the stock market is in trouble now, wait and see what happens if you relax a number of the restrictions then in a few weeks get a major spike in cases."

---

I will be pleasantly surprised if Fauci still has his job a week from now.

Meanwhile McConnell and Co with Fox News are trying to push through their stimulus bill as if it does something to halt the disease and requires extreme urgency. Ted Cruz even, when blaming the Democrats, said "People are dying, someone died in Texas today" because the Senate did not approve a $500 billion corporate giveaway? Even the $1,000 checks, if they are one-time only, will have the same effect whenever they are received and will not save anyone from COVID-19.

dimitrig said:

---

Big C said:

---

OneTopOneChickenApple said:

---

https://www.berkeleyside.com/2020/03/21/man-80-reportedly-has-first-community-transmitted-covid-19-case-in-berkeley

---

Berkeley's first "lab-confirmed" case (through community spread), but I'd be shocked if it was the first actual case. We've gone WAY beyond that. Way beyond.

Let's flatten this curve!

---

He first started feeling sick on March 12th.

From the article:

"The man doesn't go out much in general, she said, but was at the Safeway at 1444 Shattuck Place, at Rose Street, last Sunday. She said she wanted people who visited that Safeway that day to know that. Throughout the coronavirus outbreak, public health officials have advised anyone who is feeling sick to stay home, self-isolate and call their doctor."

---

Yes, well I was there that day, and damn! I ain't going back. As a 74-year-old man with type 2 diabetes I don't like my chances if I get this disease. And yes, if there's one person walking into a store with this thing there are surely more. Maybe a lot more here in my neighborhood. Even me, for all I know, with no symptoms. So, staying home except for a short walk around the block every evening. Not many people out, but we're all keeping our distance. My daughter-in-law did the shopping for me and my wife today. She's an angel!

So yes. Let's flatten this curve!

I now fully expect something bad to happen to Trump. Don't want to write it explicitly, and nothing to do with me, living a quiet life in Japan as I do. But a few mentally unbalanced people who lose their loved ones (mother?) may react very badly.

The problem with the initiative being taken by governors and mayors is that you don't address the reintroduction of the virus from other locales. Here in CA we are going to eventually come out of home isolation and we are just going to be reinfected by people from AZ & NV. Only solution is nationwide home isolation and then after you come out of that, close international borders. When a state (like CA) invokes home isolation before its neighboring states do, all that accomplishes is additional damage to its economy since it will need to go back into home isolation later. It doesn't even "flatten the curve", it just moves the whole curve back by 2 weeks.

JimSox said:

---

> So yes. Let's flatten this curve!

---

yep. theres plenty of sick around, so whenever going out or returning home lets all wash our hands.
# not rocket science

Oh you mean like the bailout of GM under Obama?

Corporate buyouts are part of the political structure right now, on both sides, unfortunately. BA wants $60 billion for the the airlines and related supply chains, etc. But today the BA CEO said that if that requires the government getting an equity position in BA he would decline the bailout and look at alternatives...because most major companies have other options, just as GM had back in the day.

NVGolfingBear said:

---

Oh you mean like the bailout of GM under Obama?

Corporate buyouts are part of the political structure right now, on both sides, unfortunately. BA wants $60 billion for the the airlines and related supply chains, etc. But today the BA CEO said that if that requires the government getting an equity position in BA he would decline the bailout and look at alternatives...because most major companies have other options, just as GM had back in the day.

---

Obama bailed out GM. Very specific. Very finite.

What the Republicans are asking for is a $500 billion slush fund that the Trump Administration gets to dole out however they wish (even to themselves) and then not report on it for 6 months (i.e. secretly give the money in June and then it's not disclosed until after the election). Hard pass on that.