what it feels like after a night of good diggz on qresearch

impressed by Boatfag Anon's quick diggs on the Eclipse and St Barts location on the last bread.

got a Sportsman's Warehouse advertisment in the mail yesterday.

Spring Shooting Sale! next two weeks…

lots of perrrty pics in the ads

So if school districts shut down for 2 weeks due the corona virus, will they then petition their state to not make up those days? Most states specify the number of school days by law. If the required number of school days is waived, that would imply that a child's education is not really that important.

After a 2 week closure and students return, how can they district be assured no student or staff has recently been infected or may become infected? Perhaps they can post signs to let any virus know they had a quaratine period so the virus can no loger enter the school.

Coronavirus: Scientific opinion divided on how cautious at-risk age groups should be

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-scientific-opinion-divided-on-how-cautious-at-risk-age-groups-should-be-11955696

It's well-known that the risk of dying from coronavirus increases greatly with age, but opinion is divided on what measures should be taken to protect people over the age of 60.

Britons in this age group should reconsider attending mass gatherings such as sporting events and concerts amid the coronavirus spread, according to an expert on national disease responses.

But that claim is strenuously refuted by a cellular microbiology professor, who says there is not enough evidence to warrant these measures.

And the government's chief medical adviser has not given this advice, saying that pensioners currently do not need to self-isolate.

The official advice is that those in at-risk age groups should seek medical attention if they show symptoms and wash their hands often. People should also check on their elderly loved ones regularly.

Research has shown that people over the age of 60 make up roughly more than 80% of coronavirus deaths in China.

A major study in the Journal of the American Medical Association analysed data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and calculated the following mortality rates via age, from more than 77,000 cases:

10-19: 0.2%

20-29: 0.2%

30-39: 0.2%

40-49: 0.4%

50-59: 1.3%

60-69: 3.6%

70-79: 8%

80 and older: 14.8%

This "frightening" data released last month had not hit home for the UK public, one disease control consultant told Sky News.

Dr Bharat Pankhania, from the University of Exeter, has devised both national and international communicable disease control action plans.

He said the government was not doing enough to try to protect those above the age of 60 from coronavirus - and should be placing stronger restrictions such as advising them against going to crowded public places.

"I am not saying they should self-isolate but I am saying they should think about how many people they're around in public, because a 4% risk is unbelievable - especially when you compare that the risk of dying from influenza is 0.8% for any age group."

"As a scientist my eternal regret would be not enough people are being told that they could get seriously ill - particularity if they have a co-existing medical condition."

He said the government should be taking a more "targeted approach" based on age groups.

But Dr Simon Clarke, associate professor in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, strongly disagrees.

He said health authorities "had not been shy" in informing the public that people become more susceptible to contracting and dying from the disease with age, especially if they had respiratory illnesses.

"This is potentially fear mongering," he said.

"My parents are in their sixties and I would not advise them not to go to public events."

"Maybe it will change when the infection gets more commonplace, but right now in the UK… you need to meet 160,000 people before you meet someone with coronavirus."

While scientific opinion is divided on how best to protect at-risk age groups from the coronavirus, the World Health Organisation on Wednesday declared it a pandemic, expressing increasing concern about the spread of the disease and "alarming levels of inaction".

Eight people have died in the UK after catching coronavirus, with 456 people having tested positive for the disease.

The UK is currently in the first stage of the government's response plan to "contain" the virus.

This involves contact-tracing, using self-isolation powers and advising people to wash their hands to prevent the virus from spreading.

But it is on the brink of moving on to the "delay" phase, where it could consider measures such as closing schools, postponing or cancelling large-scale gatherings and encouraging people to work from home.

There is no indication the restrictions will differ among age groups.

Department of Defense Travel Restrions Memo March 11, 2020

https://media.defense.gov/2020/Mar/11/2002263242/-1/-1/1/TRAVEL-RESTRICTIONS-FOR-DOD-COMPONENTS-IN-RESPONSE-TO-CORONAVIRUS-DISEASE-2019.PDF

SUBJECT: Travel Restrictions for DoD Components in Response to Coronavirus Disease 2019

This memorandum applies to all DoD uniformed and civilian personnel and their

sponsored family members not under the responsibility of a U.S. Chief of Mission.

Effective March 13, 2020, all DoD uniformed personnel, civilian personnel and family

members traveling to, from, or through Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Travel Health Notices Level 3 (COVID-19) designated locations, will stop movement for the

next 60 days. This includes all forms of official travel, including Permanent Change of Station,

Temporary Duty, and government-funded leave. For DoD uniformed personnel, this also

includes personal leave and other non-official travel. DoD travelers should carefully plan travel

to ensure their scheduled flights do not transit through or originate in Level 3 designated

locations. Authorized Departures are delayed until appropriate transportation and reception

procedures are in place for their intended route of travel as prescribed in this memorandum.

Effective March 13, 2020, and for the 60 days thereafter, concurrent official travel for

family members of DoD uniformed personnel and civilian personnel is denied to CDC Travel

Health Notices Level 2 (COVID-19) designated locations. Additionally, until the travel

restrictions prescribed above are lifted, DoD civilian personnel hiring actions for positions in

Level 2 and Level 3 designated locations are postponed for non-essential civilian personnel who

have not yet begun travel.

Also effective March 13, 2020, DoD Components must determine whether official travel

by DoD personnel to locations other than CDC Travel Health Notices Level 3 designated

locations is mission essential and must defer non-mission essential travel. Mission-essential

travel refers to work that must be performed to ensure the continued operations of missionessential functions, as determined by the DoD Component.

Exceptions may be granted in writing to the guidance contained herein for compelling

cases where the travel is: (1) determined to be mission essential; (2) necessary for humanitarian

reasons; (3) warranted due to extreme hardship. Approval authority for these exceptions belongs

to the Combatant Commander if the individual is assigned to a combatant command. The

Secretary of the Military Department concerned and the Chief Management Officer in the case of

Defense Field Activities and Field Agencies retain the authority for all other individuals. This

authority may be delegated in writing no lower than the first general or flag officer or member of

the Senior Executive Service in the traveler's chain of command or supervision. These

exceptions are to be done on a case by case basis, shall be limited in number, and shall be

coordinated between the gaining and losing organizations. Individuals pending retirement or

separation within the next 60 days are exempt. Individuals traveling under an exception or

exemption, including those traveling as part of a Department of State-issued Authorized

Departure, are subject to travel screening protocols as provided in reference (a).

These actions give preeminence to the safety and security of our personnel and their

families. During the next 60 days, the Department will take several measures to enhance traveler

safety. Each of your organizations, as applicable, shall take immediate action to:

• Establish pre- and post- travel screening and reception procedures for all

travelers as provided in reference (a), to include providing members or civilian

employees information regarding prescribed actions for them and their family

members given their particular circumstances;

• Establish a means of communication with all personnel throughout the reception

process until they are allowed to resume their normal duties;

• Transition to military or DoD contracted aircraft for DoD sponsored travelers

coming from or going to CDC Level 3 or Level 2 designated areas, to the

greatest extent practical; and

• Inform all travelers of their responsibility to contact their gaining organization

in advance of travel and to keep the organization updated on their travel

itinerary.

Refer to the latest Force Health Protection Supplement for all areas not

specifically addressed by this guidance

(https://www.defense.gov/Explore/Spotlight/Coronavirus/).

Our understanding of COVID-19 is rapidly evolving, and this guidance will be

continuously evaluated as conditions warrant. Component heads should ensure this

guidance is clearly communicated to those affected by these changes to travel policy.

VA locks down nursing homes to prevent COVID-19 infections; department tracking six cases

(Patricia Kime Mar 10 2020)

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2020/03/10/va-locks-down-nursing-homes-to-prevent-covid-19-infections-department-tracking-six-cases/

The Department of Veterans Affairs has taken the drastic step of banning visitors from its spinal cord injury wards and 134 nursing homes, except for close family members of dying veterans.

All VA medical facilities began screening visitors this month for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, and many have started limiting the number of visitors or barring children under age 18, and in some cases, 16, from medical campuses.

But on Tuesday, the department announced that its nursing homes, also called community living centers, and 24 spinal cord injury and disorder centers will have a “no visitor” rule starting immediately and lasting “until further notice.”

The facilities house or care for more than 65,000 veterans.

“While the COVID-19 risk to average Americans remains low, these commonsense measures will help protect some of our most vulnerable patients,” VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said in a release. “VA will make every effort to minimize the impact of these policies on veterans while putting patient safety first.”

ccording to VA, many of its nursing home residents and all its spinal cord injury patients have complex medical conditions that make them susceptible to infection. The COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. has killed 25 people, 13 of whom were housed at the Life Care Center nursing home in Kirkland, Washington.

A study of more than 72,000 COVID-19 cases in China published online last month by the Journal of the American Medical Association found the virus affects patients with severe underlying medical conditions as well as the elderly more severely than younger, healthier patients.

According to the study, the case fatality rate among those already critically ill from another existing medical condition was 49 percent. For patients over the age of 80, it was 14.8 percent, and for those ages 70 to 79, 8 percent.

For the vast majority, however, the illness was mild, meaning it did not cause pneumonia or resulted in only a mild case of pneumonia. According to the research, compiled by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 81 percent of the 72,000 cases were mild and resulted in no deaths.

Across the country, VA is caring for or monitoring six COVID-19 cases among veterans, mostly in the western U.S.

A VA spokeswoman said Tuesday that in addition to one patient at the VA Palo Alto Medical Center in California with a confirmed case, the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System in Las Vegas and Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System in New Orleans each have one patient awaiting confirmation from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention on their positive screenings.

Three other veterans — patients of the VA Puget Sound Health Care System, the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center and the VA Portland Healthcare System — are under quarantine at home with presumed positive cases that must be certified by the CDC, VA Press Secretary Christina Mandreucci said.

According to VA, veterans who have flu-like symptoms should call their providers first or send a secure message through MyHealtheVet before venturing to a hospital or clinic. If they have a medical appointment, they should arrive at least 30 minutes before the scheduled time to get through the medical screening process now being held outside VA medical facilities.

In addition to temperature checks, they will be asked whether they have a fever, cough or flu-like symptoms, if they have traveled to China, Japan, Italy, Iran or South Korea in the past 14 days or had close contact with someone confirmed to have COVID-19.

In addition to the “no visitor” rule at VA nursing homes and spinal cord injury centers, VA also will not be taking any new veteran residents and will limit inpatient admissions to its spinal cord injury centers to patients needing acute care. Respite care will be suspended until further notice.

The exceptions to the “no visitor” rule include veterans who are in the final stages of their life in hospice, according to VA.

“In those cases, visitors will be limited to a specific veteran’s room only,” according to VA.