Dr. Frankovich: Slow Test Results, Why We Can’t Have the Same Info as Our Neighboring Counties, and More

Humboldt County’s Public Health Officer Dr. Teresa Frankovich has been answering questions since the stay-at-home orders were instituted on a two question per media outlet roughly three times a week basis. The Emergency Operations Center takes the questions, and staff reads them on camera for her response. The resulting video, called a Media Availability, is then provided to news outlets at the end of the day.

Here are some of the main points covered in the July 6th Media Availability session with a summary of answers from Dr. Frankovich, followed by questions we would have liked to ask in response if appropriate.

Media Question: There have been some anecdotal reports of Redwood Acres testing site losing tests (and thereby not having results for those tested) as well as delays as long as nearly two weeks on getting test results. Is that something that you are aware of and how is it being addressed at the county level? 

Answer by Dr. Frankovich: 

So you know the Optum site that we have at Redwood Acres was initially an enormous gift for the county and and it still is a really good resource for us, but at the outset we were one of a small – actually were the first county to begin using the Optum site and what’s happened as testing has expanded across the state and vastly more people are being tested, these sites such as Optum and Verily that send their specimens to large commercial labs are finding that those labs are getting backed up and so it’s causing a delay in processing specimens and reporting specimens which is hugely problematic.

You know no one wants to find out six days after they have been tested that they’re positive; both the individual and for contact investigation purposes we need to have speedier test results. What I’ve been hearing recently is that turnarounds have been as long as six to eight days in general and we need it much quicker than that so we are very actively at the county level investigating other opportunities for testing that we may be able to utilize and have some better turnaround times in the system.

2 mins in:  

Media Question: Also, are there any other similar problems being seen at other local testing sites (ie Garberville and Willow Creek)?

Answer by Dr. Frankovich:

Well again, when we’re talking about Garberville, that was our Optum test site from Redwood Acres. Although it is not designed to be a mobile test site by Optum, we pleaded with them to be able to take the set up off site so that we could get to some areas that are underserved. And we are able to continue doing that, although we’re somewhat limited in how often we are able to. In Willow Creek that is a Verily, which is sort of a just another entity like Optum that was doing that through Trinity County, that site actually has been challenged by you know low turnout and so Trinity is no longer going to come on a regular basis to Willow Creek but said that they would be able to come and help us out if there was an increased need in that area. To the question- the previous question about losing tests- that is not, as we understand it, an issue of the local company losing the test; it’s an issue of the tests getting sort of lost at the lab; at the referral lab. Sometimes it’s not really a question of being lost, but specimens may just, you know, not be able to be tested for various reasons or have indeterminate results and not satisfactory and so they have to be redone to have an accurate result.

3 mins 25 sec in:  

Media Question:  At the Redwood Acres site, residents are seeing long wait times to get an appointment, long turnaround times for results, and even instances of being asked to get retested. How confident is Public Health that our case count (of both positive and negative cases) is accurate? Also, how can Public Health and the community understand how widely the virus is circulating if there are issues with testing?

Answer by Dr. Frankovich: 

So, good questions; in terms of the case counts, you know the issue really is one of delay. So ultimately these tests that have long turnaround times we do get the results but it takes much longer, so on a day-to-day basis we’re not able to report as accurately about results for that reason.

In terms of the accuracy of those tests, I have confidence in the accuracy. The actual number of tests that are not able to be run or have problems are actually relatively small; the real issue is the delay. So once we have the results you know we feel confident in them in terms of how widely it’s circulating, frankly you know the lag time for this testing being about a week to sometimes slightly longer means that our numbers are delayed but ultimately from a surveillance standpoint you know we’re able to see trends over time.  I think what’s a more important issue is the one we discussed which is that the turnaround time being long makes it less useful for contact investigation being able to promptly isolate and quarantine people.

 

4 mins 50 sec in:   

Media Question:  Mendocino and Lake counties both are very rural like Humboldt, each has fewer total cases than we do as well as smaller populations, and yet they release current hospitalization data. Could you please provide that information or explain why you feel our situation is different than theirs?

Answer by Dr. Frankovich: 

Well, I think you know, we’ve talked about this before.  Public Health historically has had great sensitivity to concerns about revealing people’s identities- basically, publicly stating their confidential health information.  I think most of us appreciate the fact that that’s a good idea.  You know, that we don’t want our personal health information discernible to our neighbors.  And so in small communities, if your neighbor gets hospitalized and then you hear there’s a new hospitalized COVID patient, sometimes that’s enough to make you go “Hmm, I think that’s what’s going on here,” that type of thing.  And so for that reason historically again, Public Health has not put out small numbers at a time.

However, COVID seems to be a different environment and information that normally would not have been given out in this fashion is, and it’s actually now becoming available at the state level. And what we’d like to do actually, is there is a state site that reports on the daily hospitalizations, so we’ll make that site available to the public; provide that link so that you can see that information if you’re interested. It may not be exactly accurate on a day to day basis but it will give people a general idea about hospitalizations.

Media Followup questions we’re unable to ask because of the format: 

Apart from any surge capacity, please tell us exactly, using a numerical identifier, how many ICU beds are available in the county- not occupied, but rather open and available

6 mins 30 sec in:  

Media Question:  When doing local contact tracing, does/can the health dept ask people whether or not they have gone to a recent protest?

Answer by Dr. Frankovich: 

We can ask about everything and we typically do. What we’re looking at is where have you been and what have you done in, you know, the 48 to 72 hours before you develop symptoms, or before you had your test date that was positive.  And so, anything that you’ve been doing in terms of gatherings and contacts with other individuals is relevant and important. and so, yes that is information that we do ask in the context of our larger investigation.

7 mins 10 sec in: 

Media Question:  Before 4th of July, the governor said, “Any public or private events this weekend that include people who do not live together in the same household should not happen. This includes family get-togethers.” What message do you have for the people who ignored that suggestion over the holiday weekend locally?

Answer by Dr. Frankovich:

Well it’s probably no secret that I’ve been frustrated by this, and I think you know I completely understand the desire to socialize and have a bit of normal life as we had known it. The problem is, is that I can tell you absolutely, that as we’re dealing with new cases coming in, and calls even that we’re over the weekend here, that there are people who are becoming ill or exposed in settings like birthday parties, visiting family. Either our residents going elsewhere to visit family and coming back exposed, or exposed family members coming here and exposing the household.  And so there is no doubt in my mind that a lot of what is driving our increases going forward is gatherings. And as much as I hate to say it we really, really need people to be able to limit those gatherings outside their household unit and it won’t be forever, but it’s important now. 

Again the real issue is not trying to make our cases zero. We need to control our number of cases so that again, people have access to the health care they need when they need it.  And you know as we’ve pointed out before in pandemics or epidemics of this sort, people die not only because of the direct effect of the virus on their body but sometimes they die because they can’t get care that they need at the level they need for the infection or they die of heart attacks, car accident injuries, strokes, because they can’t get the care they need when the hospital is full of COVID patients, or the ICUs are full of COVID patients. So it’s really an investment in each other to just really be cautious at this point, knowing that when we can do it more safely we’ll open up more.

9 mins 35 sec in:  

Media Question: With more and more places reopening and people out and about more, how do you feel residents have been doing overall when it comes to masking, social distancing, etc? Do you think residents acted responsibly this 4th of July weekend?

Answer by Dr. Frankovich: 

Well, I hope that a lot of people did and when I go out and about and see people masked in the grocery stores and different places around the community I find that encouraging.  And you know, I feel proud of the community, because you know it’s something, again, that isn’t really meant to protect you; it’s meant to protect everybody around you. 

So you know I think that compassion for our neighbors and friends is really important. 

You know, I think that a lot of people restricted what they would normally be doing on these holiday weekends and I appreciate that.  Although I can also certainly say that, you know we’re probably all aware of people who were gathering with extended family and having parties.

I do want to remind people that well you know large gatherings, you know, 100, 200 or more people increase your risk increase the risk of the community dramatically and when I hear of weddings and things like that being planned that involve hundreds of people, all I can say is nobody has the capacity here to do contact tracing investigations and that for hundreds of people at one time. You know it is just not a feasible thing to do and so I want to tell people that while large gatherings are particularly problematic and worrisome to the community, what we’re seeing right now are a lot of smaller gatherings.  It’s 10 to 20 people, at birthday parties, barbecues, things like that each of those generating additional cases and quarantine people who are exposed so again we just really need to limit these activities right now; it should be your household unit and you, outdoors and doing all the things we love, just not with other families right now. 

 

 

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Obliviously
Guest
Obliviously
3 years ago

“And so in small communities, if your neighbor gets hospitalized and then you hear there’s a new hospitalized COVID patient, sometimes that’s enough to make you go “Hmm, I think that’s what’s going on here,”

Why give an example of why they shouldn’t report hospitalizations at all as a reason for not telling us how busy our hospitals are? Go into the hospital scream it from the rooftops but get released and that has to be kept secret. BS

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Obliviously

What a farce. Still hiding behind “media availability”.

No real press conferences.

No real questions.

No real answers.

lol ok
Guest
lol ok
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Why would anyone have plowed under their fields or killed their livestock? The majority of people do not consider the protocols draconian at all and support their enforcement.

Do you feel the same way about be required to wear shoes or a shirt in most stores?

In my 1911 I trust
Guest
In my 1911 I trust
3 years ago
Reply to  lol ok

All over South Dakota and the midwest. Lots of farmers had to kill their pigs once the Smithfield slaughter house got shutdown. They have their livestock on a rotation, much like any farmer with their crops. As some pigs are reaching the 220-225lbs(prime meat vs. fat ratio at that weight) range they have more coming up behind them to take their place once they are sold. The pigs lose weight during transport, very rapidly actually as its stressful on them, so the owner is losing money per pound during transport, as well as spending money on gas. Longer travel means more weight lost and more gas spent. You can’t just feed the pigs more either and get them up to 230-240 before travel so they are at their prime weight when they arrive, because any weight much over 225 the pigs start packing on back fat. That fat gets into the meat and severely lowers the quality of the meat and the price per pound the rancher will receive. Before you know it, it doesn’t take much before you will lose a bunch of money on those pigs if you try to transport or sell them, you have the next round of pigs already nearing the 200 pound mark, and just like anybody who has worked their ass off to achieve something, they sure as hell aren’t going to give it away for free. What do they do? Take what meat they need, give some to family and friends, and slaughter the rest and toss them in a big hole. Or gas them, as that seems to be the preferred method of slaughter.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/farmers-forced-to-euthanize-livestock-as-coronavirus-strikes-food-service-industry/

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/14/business/coronavirus-farmers-killing-pigs.html

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-livestock-insight/piglets-aborted-chickens-gassed-as-pandemic-slams-meat-sector-idUSKCN2292YS

No Joke
Guest
No Joke
3 years ago
Reply to  Ceya Darwin

Ah yes, that looks like very legitimate and locally relevant source for information.

b.
Guest
b.
3 years ago
Reply to  No Joke

The article doesn’t say what C Darwin says it does. Although it somewhat misrepresents the South African report, it also allows you to read the report in full.
The report is actually a fairly good analysis. The application to South Africa doesn’t invalidate the thinking. It concludes that under the most severe lockdown, the number of Years of Life Lost (YLL) is 29 times the YLL for the least restrictive but effective shut down. If you read the report you’ll also find that Spain and Iran reopenning did not result in the kinds of surge we are getting here, nor did the Swedish reopening.
The article exagerates the Actuarial Analysis study’s findings somewhat less than mainstream articles overstate the dangers of Covid 19 studies and incidents.

Finding: A POORLY DESIGNED AND EXECUTED SHUT DOWN WILL LIKELY CAUSE many MORE YEARS OF LIFE LOSS THAN A MUCH MORE LIMITED AND WELL DESIGNED RESPONSE.

Open schools! Close the bars!

b.
Guest
b.
3 years ago
Reply to  b.

I want to add that I am more and more pissed off at the egotistical stupidity of all of you partisan bullshitters. So you win the f’ing argument. . . at least in your own mind. You claim to care about peoples’ health or peoples’ livilihoods. Both are at stake and both matter immensely. So how does lying to win an argument fit into that?

You don’t seem to mind a stupid and more damaging outcome, as long as your team wins the damned argument. Extremely pathetic human behavior. Horrible!

yep
Guest
yep
3 years ago
Reply to  b.

Multiple experts have said that we could have done a more strict shelter in place protocol for 6 weeks and wiped it out.

Billy Casomorphin
Guest
Billy Casomorphin
3 years ago

Get your testing through a commercial or hospital laboratory, it will be be handled and performed more quickly.

Optum Serve is a fly-by-night Federal Contractor, slammed together to make money for: Optum Serve! We hope they are trained, licensed and competent, but instead, they are what they are!

If you are getting tested frequently, you may not be consuming resources efficiently.

Get the Serological test for the antibody, instead. Go to Redwood Lab, Quest, or Lab Corp. Try the County Lab directly! Use Howard Hospital in Willits.

Optum Serve should be the last choice. The service there is awful, and two weeks for results is unacceptable!

12000 tests performed in Humboldt, but many fewer in Lake and Mendo? Why so many, Humboldt?

Willie Bray
Guest
3 years ago

🕯🌳I’ll second that. 👍🏽🖖

b.
Guest
b.
3 years ago
Reply to  Willie Bray

Thanks Billy,
I often disagree with you (and often agree). But actionable informantion helps everyone to make better choices.

P***W***lies
Guest
P***W***lies
3 years ago
Reply to  b.

b.

You have to understand one thing. Not everyone has to share your belief about anything. The frustration lies in people’s tribal nature wanting their own prosperity, Comfort, and security over another group of people.

The team sport, and political football game has created a division between communities, and even families.

We have been subjected to a weaponized psy op.

We are acting according to the stimulus.

b.
Guest
b.
3 years ago
Reply to  P***W***lies

Belief is a poor substitute for thought, or intuition, or emotional intelligence, or traditional practice, or wisdom, or experience. I don’t care much what you or anyone else believes except to pay attention to the liklihood that it will cloud your judgement.
A significant portion of the time most of us are operating based on belief. That means that we are actually not experiencing what we are encountering. Instead we are working very hard to pretend that things are as we believe them to be.

The supremacy of belief was a Roman psy-op invention and we’ve been mired in it, off and on, ever since.

Billy Casomorphin
Guest
Billy Casomorphin
3 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

You are thinking about something that is more “supply and demand” than about something operating efficiently, properly…

The placement of these “testing facilities” was determined by State Employees, according to population size.

You may have consumed 12,000 tests in an area of low infection, but it does not indicate “better” any more than it indicates “efficient”.

A turn-around-time of two weeks? “Lost” specimens? This only shows incompetence and unacceptable performance.

How could any lab company like this be called “operating well”?

Rod Gass
Guest
Rod Gass
3 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Yes Kym, much, much more testing is called for. The testor should be as common as a bic lighter. Carry it in your pocket.

Jesus, Chris
Guest
Jesus, Chris
3 years ago
Reply to  Rod Gass

It is useless to test everyone frequently. It is, however, big business for testing companies.

COVID-19 testing is the largest “Federal Welfare” boondoggle I have seen recently… Many, many C-19 testing labs are popping up, including at UC Santa Cruz, Amazon, and special labs all over California which are dedicated to just C-19 tests! It’s insane, a fantastic waste of resources, and, licensed Technologists are quitting their hospital jobs to work in these higher paying laboratories…

You do have labs in Humboldt to do testing, Redwood Labs in Eureka, UIHS in Arcata, even Kimaw in Hoopa, and, there are 4 hospital labs, Mad River, St Joseph’s, Redwood Hospital in Fortuna, and Jerold Phelps. Some testing is available at each, and these employ licensed people working in licensed facilities.

If these facilities were all adequately staffed with decently paid professionals, and if they all possessed proper equipment and supplies, you wouldn’t need Optum Serve at all.

Swine
Guest
Swine
3 years ago
Reply to  Jesus, Chris

And they test for ALL CORONA viruses.. So a positive actually means nothing as far as a “new” virus goes. We are all being boondoggled with horse manure

In my 1911 I trust
Guest
In my 1911 I trust
3 years ago
Reply to  Jesus, Chris

I’ve been noticing all these trendy new masks around town lately. With their super duper velcro strap, and double sealed mouth vents, all branded and colored cool, makes me almost want to wear one so I could be cool too. How much money are these fly by night mask making companies that just sprang up into existence making? Why are we being charged money for something forcibly mandated? Its like still having to pay CRV even though I can’t take my bottles in to get my CRV back.

Rod Gass
Guest
Rod Gass
3 years ago

Yep, no doubt.

We have, one more time, allowed the belief in “labs” to prostitute the fears in normal people. At the moment, labs
aren’t reliable. Human errors.

As we all remember “labs” is the birthplace of the Wuhan Virus.

DivideByZero
Guest
DivideByZero
3 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Ninety thousand??????? In your dreams. The population of Covelo has doubled in the last five years due to Mexican immigration. Look around.

Billy Casomorphin
Guest
Billy Casomorphin
3 years ago
Reply to  DivideByZero

And I don’t think anyone has any idea how many people reside in Lake County.

steve
Guest
steve
3 years ago

Seems like there is a lot of confusion about testing, labs, virus and antibody testing. I know I’m confused.

Obliviously
Guest
Pharmstheproblem
Guest
Pharmstheproblem
3 years ago
Reply to  Obliviously

Did she answer answer any questions? Not really but did talk a lot as usual!

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Obliviously

Thanks, obliviously, for the update containing actual pertinent information.

Mike
Guest
Mike
3 years ago

You can have wedddings and party’s all you want, according to the media it’s completely safe, all you have to do is wear a mask and have it outside. You might have to hang a sign about systemic racism to ward off the virus and to prove to the experts that it’s safe.

Yeah,sure
Guest
Yeah,sure
3 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Is it bothering you that systemic racism is a topic of conversation in the forefront now? Do you wish the conversation would go away? I do know that a lot of people liked the status quo, they don’t see what the fuss is about, racism, so what, doesn’t affect me, why do I have to hear about it? That time has passed, get used to it.

Rod Gass
Guest
Rod Gass
3 years ago
Reply to  Yeah,sure

Yeah,sure I agree. a bit off topic, but related.

I haven’t discovered a clear definition of systemic racism. Is it a machine?

People are racist, to some degree. What’s the systemic?

The conversation isn’t yet close to being finished on racism in America. It’s pervasive and wide spread, but systemic?

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Rod Gass
Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Rod Gass
b.
Guest
b.
3 years ago
Reply to  Rod Gass

Rod,
The idea is not new. You’ve experienced it yourself. Systemic discrimination happens to anyone not in the assumed “normal” group. School funding has been systemically racist (and classist and Urbanist, and ableist and so on). The funding system was set up mostly by white upper middle class suburban professionals and relied on attendance to pay for school costs. Guess who goes to school the most regularly? Guess where teaching is hardest?
Standardized tests rely on cultural knowledge and are sometimes just wrong. Non-standard black english usage gets graded as more wrong than non-standard professional white english. A non-standard black construction is often used as one of the wrong answers, as is country slang. This of course also discriminates against poor white folk and rural folk as well. Standardized test results respond to how “comfortable” people feel when taking them and almost nobody feel more comfortable when being called stupid, even by insinuation.
The amount of discrimination against black families in the sub-prime mortgage crisis was sickening. Black people were switched to sub-prime mortgages when they qualified for prime mortgages at a far greater rate than all others, although native and latino families were also screwed that way.
Courts allow different people to “plead out” in much different ways based on race and class. Black defendents far less often have their most severe charge dropped than “criminals” of other race identifications. Poor black people are doubly screwed by this. And this doesn’t just screw the “criminal.” It screws their whole family.

My mother was an athlete and would have been an engineer had she not been told by a professor that she would receive an F in his class no matter what she did. She majored in a different science that she was much less suited for. She was in college with Neil Armstrong. When NASA studied what the most effective way to send intelligence into space, the answer was small athletic women. She was 5’2″ and a better short-stop than most men her age. NASA threw out the study and did another one that had a foregone conclusion that the answer was military test pilots. That’s systemic sexism. It isn’t always conscious and it isn’t always malicious. It actually lets you and me off the hook if we’d just jump off.
When my kids were little, I was a primary parent (my wife was disabled and we were poorer than dirt). I faced blatant sexism which in some ways was easy to fight; I could see it and defend. But when “experienced mothers and grandmothers” helped me out by feeding my kid food that he couldn’t digest and made him sick, it was much harder. Cops would check to see if I had stolen my own kids, I wanted to cry because my life was so hard and the 20 minute interview just made it more so. The child welfare workers were even more frightening.

I’ve been there and I know if I hadn’t been allowed to blend back in to a “normal” if hippified life I would have a hard time keeping my cool and caring about my self and my world. I think that ending the systemic isms is much more fun than running around trying to fight the KKK. I think we’d all be better off.

Joeschmo
Guest
Joeschmo
3 years ago
Reply to  Yeah,sure

No it’s that it’s a totally politicized argument proposing no real solutions. The only meaningful solution is equality of education, and no one is talking about that. Only virtue signaling. Supporting BLM is like thinking that picking up plastic on the beach is going to solve global warming.

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Joeschmo

There are lots of real solutions. And people are trying to use all of them, because where problems are complex, solutions must necessarily be multi-pronged.

And protest is as American as apple pie.

Mike
Guest
Mike
3 years ago
Reply to  Yeah,sure

No, it bothers me that the same people that are screaming that if you hold any event outside any where anyhow it will kill everybody’s grandma are the same people supporting mass protests. If you protest to open the economy, grandma dead. Blm protests. grandmas fine, we’re actually making the world a better place. 2 neighboring families getting together to celebrate their kids absent graduation from high school, grandma dead. Thousands of protestors occupying city blocks in close proximity for weeks on end sharing food and common supplies. Grandmas fine and the world is safer. And the media has bent over backwards to support that narrative completely.

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Mike

You’d feel differently if the plague was killing “your” family.

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Protest or wedding. Does it matter? Which is the point being made.

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Yes, it matters. The protests are attempts to save the lives of people who are dying because of systemic racism — including as it relates to the plague. Weddings are not.

Mike
Guest
Mike
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

From a virological perspective, if you are ok with mass gatherings depending on how you feel of on the subject, you are either, A a hypocrite. Or B a hypocrite. Either it’s ok or it isn’t. Anything else is your entitlement showing.

b.
Guest
b.
3 years ago
Reply to  Mike

No, the kind of mass gathering actually matters. A moving and mixing gathering outdoors has a much lower transmission rate than, say a football game or concert at a stadium. Spectator events have concentrations of people, the indoor restrooms, the placement of people next another especially if packed close enough to touch for long periods of time. The frequency of spitting or loud vocalizing, the positioning of people below others in stadiums and the extreme packing of entering and especially exiting also make them more dangerous.
Beaches and parks should be open, bars should not.

You can read about this stuff. And don’t just read to decide if it supports your point of view. I hate this shutdown for the same reasons you do and more. It is bad for kids. It’s bad for public life. And I think that the horrible design of our health. . . no. . . medical system makes the virus far more dangerous. I would probably come closer to letting it run its course. I think nursing homes are an abomination and that keeping people who are dying alive and spending tremendous amounts of resources to do so is pathological.

But I follow the details to figure out how best to meet both the “safety” and the “freedom” objectives. The Swiss started REQUIRING all social distancing measures to allow children to hug their grandparents (except as specifically medically prescribed). They had the data– children don’t transmit, hugs help everyone’s mental and physical health– and they had the guts to apply it.

Mike
Guest
Mike
3 years ago
Reply to  b.

I agree, almost completely. I’m not against BLM protestors. I’m against the people that think it’s only ok to break stringent shelter in place protocols when it’s a position that they deem favorable. This forum was awash with criticism of the “open the economy” protestors not maintaining proper distancing and yet the same people defended the shoulder to shoulder protests. Personally I believe if it’s 6 feet and a mask that’ll keep you safe, do whatever you want as long as you’re 6 feet and a mask

P***W***lies
Guest
P***W***lies
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Building a huge sick team to defeat the healthy team.

Economic warfare on the people.

Some very despicable people calling the shots.

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Yeah,sure

Because it is not rational to drum up fear of the danger of death from a virus which doesn’t target specific races while making exceptions on preventing infections for based on race. Systematic racism, white privilege, identity politics, reverse racism, etc- all are phrases created to validate feelings that people think are caused by others. The endless cries of the child that it’s not fair. There is no fair.

It’s become clear that having had a racist society documented anywhere at any time, it is never going to change the feelings of people who know about it. And constantly dwelling on it creates more anger, not less. Revenge is demanded- called justice but, if you believe in systematic racism, justice is never possible. And the constant focusing on the lack of justice makes more anger and a stronger desire for revenge in a continuing cycle of dissatisfaction. The child in us then says “If I can’t have it, then I will see you can’t either.”

Practice does not make perfect if you keep practicing what doesn’t work. Therefore I dismiss the claims of others that I acknowledge their feelings as my guide for my behavior. I’m tired of trying, it has become too hard of a burden. I don’t care anymore to waste my time parsing out what is personal from what is human. I’m done. Let me know when you have derived a principle that can guide my actions. I’m done with worrying about your feelings.

Yeah,sure
Guest
Yeah,sure
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

I didn’t think you cared about anyone’s feelings in the first place
anyways. No biggie.
Sorry, didn’t read that mini novela comment of yours, not up for untangling pretzeled overthinking.

I like stars
Guest
I like stars
3 years ago
Reply to  Yeah,sure

Wow!

First make an unsubstantiated claim the other person has no care for others. Second admit you didn’t even read their comment.

You come off as very credible.

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  I like stars

Did you read it?

If so, can you tell us what it says?

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

There’s no requirement to read it unless you choose to comment on it. Reading would help in that case. It’s clear I like stars read Yeah, sure’s comment before responding. Which is why it was relevant.

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

So you can’t tell us what it says, either… lol.

Ino
Guest
Ino
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

I read it but I can’t paraphrase it any shorter. You should read it yourself.

Yeah,sure
Guest
Yeah,sure
3 years ago
Reply to  Ino

Let’s hear the breakdown. I don’t read Guests long circular pretzeled tortured comments with many links. They are hard to decipher, you find yourself rereading sentences over and over to get the gist. It’s like a foreign language to me. No one else commenting here is as hard to understand.

HotCoffee
Guest
HotCoffee
3 years ago
Reply to  Ino

I didn’t have a problem understanding the post at all.

It basically says people find excuses for not doing what they demand others do and whine like little kids about fairness when viruses aren’t going to be fair.

It elaborates, but if you need it bumper sticker style….

Truth
Guest
Truth
3 years ago

Would Dr. Frankovich please reeducate the supervisors on wearing masks and social distancing. Mid June my wife and I attended a memorial service in Southern Humboldt. Upon our arrival there were over 70 people with only a couple or so wearing masks. There was Estelle Fennel and her partner also not wearing masks and hugging multiple people. It could have potentially been a super spreader event. We felt unsafe, left our gift of flowers at the gate, and departed for home. I thought a true leader leads by example. Estelle is not a leader and has never been one.

Rod Gass
Guest
Rod Gass
3 years ago
Reply to  Truth

Truth.

You answered your own question. You are obviously better equipped to handle this pandemic than some of our elected officials. Follow your own safety guidelines.

I really like your handle.

I like stars
Guest
I like stars
3 years ago
Reply to  Truth

It’s hard for me to keep my inner Beavis contained when I see the term ‘super spreader event’.

Faithful
Guest
Faithful
3 years ago

A doctor who has been in the trenches, treating many successfully for 3 months, advocates for early and aggressive outpatient treatment.

https://youtu.be/4tYlaHgas7U

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago

Acknowledging problems means little if there is no attempt to fix them.

Ceya Darwin
Guest
Ceya Darwin
3 years ago

Deaths are down. Known infections are up due to testing . This virus is NOT as advertised. We know who is at risk.

END THE LOCKDOWN regulations. Allow a booming economy to support those who are at elevated risk and should isolate.

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Ceya Darwin

Previous pandemics have prefaced mild recessions. Since any pandemic can disrupt the productivity somewhat, that is no surprise. What is a surprise is deliberately taking a recession and doing as much as possible to change it into a depression. The policy seems to be guided by emotional response to what ever headline is current. Illnesses increase? Shut everything down. Losing tax revenue? Open everything up. As a consequence, people get neither a good economy nor protection from the virus. But they do get lots of stress.

Tom
Guest
Tom
3 years ago

Verily is (was) a company owned by Google, until they changed their name to something else. Prior to this pandemic they have been working with pharmaceutical companies. They have partnered with vaccination researchers all in relation to a wristband they developed that monitors health and uses an app for tracing these results. Soon it will be the norm to be tracked and traced as a human. Don’t believe me, just look at Verily Wikipedia and their own website. Timing is impeccable.

Meh
Guest
Meh
3 years ago

An “an enormous gift”? What an idiot…we were guinea pigs. The local labs have been doing much better all along in terms of result times – their initial hold up was a lack of testing/kits supplies.

OPTUM serve is run by OPTUM, which is owned by United Healthcare Group which also owns UnitedHealthcare – largest insurer in the country. Don’t believe for a second that we weren’t chosen to have this “gift” as a benefit to corporate America..

Swine
Guest
Swine
3 years ago
Reply to  Meh

This is what people who call it a “hoax” may be seeing or feeling. Always being dupped and taken advantage of by the rich corporations. Democrate republican liberal conservative.m it doesnt matter… Were all being had and taken advantage of. The sooner you take off your mask and hust live your life without mainstream news and nonsense the sooner you will be more free.

Yeah,sure
Guest
Yeah,sure
3 years ago
Reply to  Swine

At least you can find a test when you get sick, huh?

In my 1911 I trust
Guest
In my 1911 I trust
3 years ago
Reply to  Yeah,sure

Except I won’t get a test if I get sick. I’ll just stay home and recover, just like anything else. Wooo soo scary.

HotCoffee
Guest
HotCoffee
3 years ago

Especially bad for children….

[7-2-2020] FDA is warning consumers and health care providers that the agency has seen a sharp increase in hand sanitizer products that are labeled to contain ethanol (also known as ethyl alcohol) but that have tested positive for methanol contamination. Methanol, or wood alcohol, is a substance that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested and can be life-threatening when ingested.

brand info here

https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-updates-hand-sanitizers-methanol#products