Twin Tiers Covid News

[KarenK 384]

3 hours ago, Ann said:

Wondering why our numbers so much higher now than last year?  This is serious.  A family member was sent to ER by Ambulance yesterday about 12:30 pm.  She was in the waiting room until about 1:15 am, it was that busy.  Luckily Covid test was negative.

The numbers are a fiasco and again with the false positives and negatives so who really knows?   A 39yr old with 7 children passed away Sunday I think. Her first covid test was negative and she had symptoms.  They sent her home with a flu diagnosis. That was about 3 weeks ago.  Subsequently tested positive as did all of her children.  They are all recovered as well as her husband, and she died.

I have two friends who tested positive on random tests they were required to get and then two days later retested negative.

I guess just watching the hospitalizations is what is most important.

[KarenK 384]

3 hours ago, Ann said:

I don’t see what the big deal is about wearing a mask.  If I have to wear 2 or 3 to protect myself and my family I will do that.

Never bothered me much to wear one in places where it's required.  I will say that I feel for those folks who have to wear one all day because the 2-3 hours when I was at the Moose could be tough.

Never did see the standing up vs sitting down logic though.  lol

[TTL News 313]

From "Chemung County Matters" Facebook Page:

Quote

 

Due to what the Chairperson of the Chemung County Legislature calls an “alarming spike” in local covid cases, legislative meetings will be closed to the public until infection rates fall.

While this is an unfortunate yet necessary step, it is completely at odds with what occurred at last night’s meeting - something that is quite baffling. (See earlier post for details.)

In any case, it’s clear we all need to pitch in to do what we can until this wave passes.

 

[Adam 375]

22 hours ago, KarenK said:

I believe he made that mandate before they released the guidelines all the county execs decided on.  At that time we were not in any "tier" that would justify it

 

as Exec, he has discretion over such matters regardless of tier declarations.

that aside we as a society(at least the adult portion) need to demand proactive actions instead of reactionary theater

[Adam 375]

speaking of Sonsire...it was outright embarrassing and infuriating to see no one call Brennan out on his behavior and Mr. Drake for motioning to adjourn in order to shut down ANY discussion

[Chris 2,195]

Let’s limit conversation here to the increase infection rates, resulting cancelations and such and leave the local political theater for other areas.

Thanks.

[Chris 2,195]

Anyone looking to track Covid cases in the schools, here's a link for Elmira: https://www.elmiracityschools.com/community/superintendent_updates/2021-22_c_o_v_i_d-19_case_counter

And here is Horseheads': https://www.horseheadsdistrict.com/covidupdate.cfm

[Chris 2,195]

After yet another discussion that involved the phrase "false positives", I had a thought right before I went to sleep last night. 

About a year ago, there were testing clinics being held if not daily, a couple days a week. John Q. Public could get tested, exposed, unexposed, symptomatic or not, and there were entire days people would go in and out of the testing sites. And at that time, we'd see what, 20-30 positives a day? ( I really can't remember but I don't recall averaging 70-100 a day. )

Now, there's no such clinics, and people are mostly getting tested when they've been exposed and/ or are symptomatic. So I assume there's less tests being performed overall as compared to last year. 

Now I'm no statistician, but if there were "so many false positives", wouldn't it stand to reason that with the decrease in overall testing, there'd be LESS positive results being reported, false or otherwise?

[TTL News 313]

[KarenK 384]

2 hours ago, Chris said:

After yet another discussion that involved the phrase "false positives", I had a thought right before I went to sleep last night. 

About a year ago, there were testing clinics being held if not daily, a couple days a week. John Q. Public could get tested, exposed, unexposed, symptomatic or not, and there were entire days people would go in and out of the testing sites. And at that time, we'd see what, 20-30 positives a day? ( I really can't remember but I don't recall averaging 70-100 a day. )

Now, there's no such clinics, and people are mostly getting tested when they've been exposed and/ or are symptomatic. So I assume there's less tests being performed overall as compared to last year. 

Now I'm no statistician, but if there were "so many false positives", wouldn't it stand to reason that with the decrease in overall testing, there'd be LESS positive results being reported, false or otherwise?

Honestly, I think there is more testing going on right now than at this time last year.  Last year they had the mass testing clinics and were begging people to go get tested no matter what.  Now you can go get tested at any number of places during regular hours and I apparently people are lining up around buildings and being turned away because so many are showing up.  The two folks I know who were recently subjected to the hour long wait in line was because of close contact to prior positive.  Both asymptomatic. One tested positive and never got a symptom and one was negative.

[KarenK 384]

1 minute ago, KarenK said:

Honestly, I think there is more testing going on right now than at this time last year.  Last year they had the mass testing clinics and were begging people to go get tested no matter what.  Now you can go get tested at any number of places during regular hours and I apparently people are lining up around buildings and being turned away because so many are showing up.  The two folks I know who were recently subjected to the hour long wait in line was because of close contact to prior positive.  Both asymptomatic. One tested positive and never got a symptom and one was negative.

Oh, and had the positive one actually been vaccinated, he would not have had to quarantine unless he got symptoms.  

[KarenK 384]

3 hours ago, TwinTiersLiving said:

Yep.  Although we do have the National Guard on standby.  lol

Again, I'm not a mandate person and feel a testing option should have been provided for this very reason. We can't afford to lose the staff.  It also indicates to me that Gov Hochul is not too far off from King Andy.  My way or the highway.

[Kevin 340]

1 hour ago, KarenK said:

Yep.  Although we do have the National Guard on standby.  lol

The local National Guard unit in this area is currently deployed to the southern border wall. They have been gone since Oct 2020. Should be returning by the end of 2021, but no date has been set. Most if not all National Guard personnel at the vaccine clinics over the last year have been from NYC. 

I can say I am one if a few people that have never been tested. Never had a reason to be, Also being vaccinated helps.

[Chris 2,195]

3 hours ago, KarenK said:

We can't afford to lose the staff. 

Well now it looks like the news is changing their tune and saying some chose to resign. 

Quote

"Approximately 50 unvaccinated employees submitted their voluntary resignation prior to the vaccine mandate deadline, and approximately 30 more did not meet the vaccine requirements and were unfortunately no longer able to be employed with us, per the NYS mandate," Arnot System Director Ken Roberts stated in an email to WENY News. 

Source

[MsKreed 1,197]

There really isn't a distinction, is there? 

Those 50 "voluntary resignations" were predicated on the fact that they would not meet the requirement.

All 80 fell outside the mandate, whether they proclaimed it in advance or not. And unemployment won't cover any of them - regardless of whether they "resigned" or were "dismissed".

[Chris 2,195]

8 minutes ago, MsKreed said:

There really isn't a distinction, is there? 

I think when writing a headline there is. 

[MsKreed 1,197]

Looks like a journalistic choice, more than a change of tune. 

WENY says:  "80 employees resigned or let-go due to vaccine mandate"

WETM that Moss cited worded it:  "Arnot Health: ICU at 100% capacity; approx. 80 unvaccinated employees laid off"

Bottom line is that they lost 80 employees to this mandate. 

[Chris 2,195]

Does this make sense to anyone else?

Quote

 

Currently, students who are unvaccinated and exposed to anyone who is COVID positive must quarantine for 10 days. Douglas tells 18 News he’s trying to change that, though health experts are wary of his idea.

“[The district proposed] to the county and said ‘let us bring our direct contacts in the school and monitor them.’ As soon as they show any signs, they must get tested and they must stay home,” Douglas said. 

Douglas argues that the majority of COVID-19 infections come from outside the classroom and that the virus is rarely being transmitted to students inside the school. Experts say that’s because exposed students are at home quarantining.

 

Source

Also an interesting note, it was one year ago today we got word schools would be shutting down again. We figured a couple weeks and it was about two months. The county's case count at that time was 159. 

[KarenK 384]

3 minutes ago, Chris said:

Does this make sense to anyone else?

Source

Also an interesting note, it was one year ago today we got word schools would be shutting down again. We figured a couple weeks and it was about two months. The county's case count at that time was 159. 

I think it's because so far none of the direct contacts are actually catching anything but they are still out of school for 10 days.  

 

[Chris 2,195]

So let's say we do it his way and "direct contacts" are allowed to be in school. Two days later, they're symptomatic. In that two day interval, did they possibly infect others?

From the CDC:

Quote

Researchers estimate that people who get infected with the coronavirus can spread it to others 2 to 3 days before symptoms start and are most contagious 1 to 2 days before they feel sick

 

[MsKreed 1,197]

1 hour ago, Chris said:

Douglas argues that the majority of COVID-19 infections come from outside the classroom and that the virus is rarely being transmitted to students inside the school. Experts say that’s because exposed students are at home quarantining.

I don't het how the expert explanation makes sense.  IF they had been infected by a classmate they were exposed to......quarantining at home after that exposure would not be the reason they remained uninfected at home. 

[KarenK 384]

3 hours ago, Chris said:

So let's say we do it his way and "direct contacts" are allowed to be in school. Two days later, they're symptomatic. In that two day interval, did they possibly infect others?

From the CDC:

 

Maybe they should consider a compromise.  Quarantine for 5 days and then if you test negative you can go back.  Honestly, something has to give because this constant go to school, quarantine circle is not sustainable and not going to work. Covid aint going away.

 

[Chris 2,195]

6 hours ago, KarenK said:

Maybe they should consider a compromise.  Quarantine for 5 days and then if you test negative you can go back. 

That seems pretty reasonable.

[Adam 375]

12 hours ago, Chris said:

Experts say that’s because exposed students are at home quarantining.

im thinking The Super and their Legislator have been drinking the same Dunce juice if he cannot stop to consider that small bit-o-sanity

[Hal 341]

On 10/7/2021 at 4:48 PM, Chris said:

"Approximately 50 unvaccinated employees submitted their voluntary resignation prior to the vaccine mandate deadline, and approximately 30 more did not meet the vaccine requirements and were unfortunately no longer able to be employed with us, per the NYS mandate," Arnot System Director Ken Roberts stated in an email to WENY News. 

Having had the opportunity to discuss this topic at length with the affected staff , Nurses and Clinical Techs mostly, they had an entirely different take on this than Mr Roberts who seems to be slightly … okay totally ass backwards in his email to the local Madea .                    
PS I spelled Madea for a reason .