Coronavirus patients start to overwhelm US hospitals

#1

Post by ericdanielski » Thu, Mar 26, 2020, 1:25 PM UTC

Coronavirus patients start to overwhelm US hospitals
edition.cnn.com

Re: Coronavirus patients start to overwhelm US hospitals

#2

Post by noads » Thu, Mar 26, 2020, 2:51 PM UTC

All the emergency managers did a great job posting videos and FAQs, which are completely useless now. We should have been building massive free clinics in every city starting two weeks ago. This is a failure of imagination.

Re: Coronavirus patients start to overwhelm US hospitals

#3

Post by brenden2 » Thu, Mar 26, 2020, 2:52 PM UTC

While I'm not questioning the truth of these accounts, what annoys me about all these reports is that they seem to be anecdotes rather than hard data. It's really difficult to understand what's actually going on because the data sucks. It's hard to assess just how full hospitals are, which hospitals are at capacity, how many patients are actually testing positive vs. showing up at the hospital because they feel a bit off that day, how many require hospitalization, how these cases are affecting other patients, and a whole lot of other things.

I'm still kind of on the fence about this whole situation. The panic is undoubtedly real and serious, but the seriousness of the virus itself seems questionable. I don't think we'll really know what's actually going on for a few more weeks or months.

Re: Coronavirus patients start to overwhelm US hospitals

#4

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Mar 26, 2020, 2:54 PM UTC

brenden2 wrote: post #3

While I'm not questioning the truth of these accounts, what annoys me about all these reports is that they seem to be anecdotes rather than hard data. It's really difficult to understand what's actually going on because the data sucks. It's hard to assess just how full hospitals are, which hospitals are at capacity, how many patients are actually testing positive vs. showing up at the hospital because they feel a bit…

[deleted]

Re: Coronavirus patients start to overwhelm US hospitals

#5

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Mar 26, 2020, 2:56 PM UTC

brenden2 wrote: post #3

While I'm not questioning the truth of these accounts, what annoys me about all these reports is that they seem to be anecdotes rather than hard data. It's really difficult to understand what's actually going on because the data sucks. It's hard to assess just how full hospitals are, which hospitals are at capacity, how many patients are actually testing positive vs. showing up at the hospital because they feel a bit…

[deleted]

Re: Coronavirus patients start to overwhelm US hospitals

#6

Post by DoofusOfDeath » Thu, Mar 26, 2020, 2:56 PM UTC

brenden2 wrote: post #3

While I'm not questioning the truth of these accounts, what annoys me about all these reports is that they seem to be anecdotes rather than hard data. It's really difficult to understand what's actually going on because the data sucks. It's hard to assess just how full hospitals are, which hospitals are at capacity, how many patients are actually testing positive vs. showing up at the hospital because they feel a bit…

I agree with your main point. That said, if we're okay with subjecting ourselves to propaganda that reduces the spread of covid19, these anecdotes might serve a useful role.

Re: Coronavirus patients start to overwhelm US hospitals

#7

Post by luckydata » Thu, Mar 26, 2020, 2:57 PM UTC

brenden2 wrote: post #3

While I'm not questioning the truth of these accounts, what annoys me about all these reports is that they seem to be anecdotes rather than hard data. It's really difficult to understand what's actually going on because the data sucks. It's hard to assess just how full hospitals are, which hospitals are at capacity, how many patients are actually testing positive vs. showing up at the hospital because they feel a bit…

It's kinda hard to get "hard data" in the middle of a shitshow. This comment sounds like someone watching a school shooting live and asking "yeah but what's the % of kids that got shot".

Show some humanity dude.

Re: Coronavirus patients start to overwhelm US hospitals

#8

Post by rimliu » Thu, Mar 26, 2020, 2:58 PM UTC

DoofusOfDeath wrote: post #6

brenden2 wrote: post #3

While I'm not questioning the truth of these accounts, what annoys me about all these reports is that they seem to be anecdotes rather than hard data. It's really difficult to understand what's actually going on because the data sucks. It's hard to assess just how full hospitals are, which hospitals are at capacity, how many patients are actually testing positive vs. showing up at the hospital because they feel a bit…

I agree with your main point. That said, if we're okay with subjecting ourselves to propaganda that reduces the spread of covid19, these anecdotes might serve a useful role.

They are useful to know, but they have one fundamental problem: they erode trust. Though it is up for debate on how much trust in the political system and mass media there is left in the US.

Re: Coronavirus patients start to overwhelm US hospitals

#9

Post by qubex » Thu, Mar 26, 2020, 2:58 PM UTC

As an Italian (albeit one living abroad) I was expecting this, and hoping to be wrong. So much advantage, squandered.

Re: Coronavirus patients start to overwhelm US hospitals

#10

Post by beepboopbeep » Thu, Mar 26, 2020, 2:59 PM UTC

brenden2 wrote: post #3

While I'm not questioning the truth of these accounts, what annoys me about all these reports is that they seem to be anecdotes rather than hard data. It's really difficult to understand what's actually going on because the data sucks. It's hard to assess just how full hospitals are, which hospitals are at capacity, how many patients are actually testing positive vs. showing up at the hospital because they feel a bit…

81 people died of the virus in NYC yesterday. I think the large number approach of pandemics can almost sanitize the numbers of their humanity.

Imagine 81 people died in a bus accident, or a fire, or a mass shooting. This is very serious and we're still at the beginning of it.