* Oh, man…
The outbreak of the respiratory virus began in China and was quickly spread around the world by air travelers, who ran high fevers. In the United States, it was first detected in Chicago, and 47 days later the World Health Organization declared a pandemic. By then it was too late: 110 million Americans were expected to become ill, leading to 7.7 million hospitalized and 586,000 dead.
That scenario, code-named “Crimson Contagion,” was simulated by the Trump administration’s Department of Health and Human Services in a series of exercises that ran from last January to August.
The simulation’s sobering results — contained in a draft report dated October 2019 that has not previously been reported — drove home just how underfunded, underprepared and uncoordinated the federal government would be for a life-or-death battle with a virus for which no treatment existed.
The draft report, marked “not to be disclosed,” laid out in stark detail repeated cases of “confusion” in the exercise. Federal agencies jockeyed over who was in charge. State officials and local hospitals struggled to figure out what kind of equipment was stockpiled or available. Cities and states went their own way on school closings.
Go read the whole thing. The draft report is here. Chicago and Illinois participated in that exercise, but I don’t know if they were ever given the results.
* Politico…
President Donald Trump on Thursday put the onus on governors to obtain the critical equipment their states need to fight the coronavirus pandemic, telling reporters that the federal government is “not a shipping clerk” for the potentially life-saving supplies.
Appearing at the daily press briefing of the White House coronavirus task force, the president defended his decision to invoke the Defense Production Act — which would allow the administration to direct U.S. industry to ramp up production of emergency medical provisions — without actually triggering the statute.
“Governors are supposed to be doing a lot of this work, and they are doing a lot of this work,” Trump said. “The Federal government is not supposed to be out there buying vast amounts of items and then shipping. You know, we’re not a shipping clerk.”
The president’s remarks amounted to a rebuke of governors’ recent pleas for more robust federal intervention amid the rapidly spreading outbreak, which they warn will soon overwhelm local health care systems if hospital beds, face masks and other necessities are not soon furnished in significantly greater numbers.
*Hard sigh* As a buddy of mine just said, “There is an actual federal stockpile of things like PPE to ship to states. That is what they do.”
*** UPDATE *** Speaking of supplies, here’s the IHA…
The Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA) today issued a plea to the leaders of associations for the construction industry, dentists, veterinarians, and other groups that may be able to help the state’s more than 200 hospitals protect their healthcare workers as they care for COVID-19 patients. IHA is asking the organizations to donate face masks or N95s to their local hospitals.
“Hospitals all over the state are in jeopardy of potentially running out of critically needed protective medical supplies,” said Illinois Health and Hospital Association President and CEO A.J. Wilhelmi. “With continuing uncertainties about global and U.S. supplies of face masks, we urgently need to find alternative supplies, no matter where they are, so our hospitals can continue to provide life-saving care to current and future COVID-19 patients.”
The text of Wilhelmi’s message is as follows:
Subject: Illinois Hospitals Need Your Help - Request for Face Masks (N95s)
I am making an unusual, but critically important personal plea to you for help.
As you may be aware, Illinois hospitals and health systems are facing a critical shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as they care for increasing numbers of patients with COVID-19. Yesterday, the number of COVID-19 cases in Illinois nearly doubled to 288. We anticipate that the number of cases will increase dramatically in the coming days and weeks, exhausting all the PPE at hospitals, including gowns, gloves, eye shields and, especially, medical masks (specifically, standard surgical masks and N95s, which have NIOSH or FDA approval, including expired N95s).
PPE is critical to protecting our frontline healthcare workforce from infection when testing and treating patients for COVID-19, keeping our dedicated physicians, nurses, technicians and others in our hospitals where they are needed most.
Earlier this week, you may have seen or heard that Vice President Mike Pence asked all construction companies to donate unused/packaged N95 masks to their local hospitals and to limit ordering more:
“We would make one specific request, and that is we would urge construction companies to donate their inventory of N95 masks to your local hospital and forgo additional orders of those industrial masks…Because of what the president asked to be included in legislation moving through the Congress, those industrial masks that they use on construction sites are perfectly acceptable for healthcare workers to be protected from a respiratory disease.” (See a news story on the Vice President’s remarks at a White House press conference)
In addition, there may be available N95 masks from dental offices or other healthcare facilities that have been temporarily shuttered because of the COVID-19 crisis.
On behalf of more than 200 hospitals and health systems across Illinois, I ask you to donate N95s to your local hospitals. We greatly appreciate any help you can provide to protect healthcare workers as they provide life-saving care to patients during this crisis. Thanks for considering, and please let me know if you have any questions or need more information.
* Meanwhile, here’s some headlines from the Tribune’s very good COVID-19 page…
Metra cuts weekday schedule in half as coronavirus causes deep ridership drop
Chicago police and paramedics just announced their first coronavirus cases. How are they dealing with COVID-19 on the front line?
Chicago orders coronavirus patients, people showing symptoms, to stay home
Suburban Cook County coronavirus cases rise to 75 with 17 new infections
Professional licenses expiration dates extended
Illinois General Assembly cancels session
Lightfoot addressing the public tonight in broadcast from City Hall
Illinois unemployment claims skyrocket as coronavirus pandemic causes workplaces to shut down
As day cares shut down, parents must juggle child care and working from home
ER doctors at Rush Oak Park Hospital test positive for coronavirus as village issues ‘shelter in place’ order
* SJ-R…
Springfield COVID-19 updates: Closings, cancellations, help available
* This is not good, but it’s going to happen in lots more places, so prepare yourself…
One staff member at the Church Creek senior living center in Arlington Heights has contracted the COVID-19 coronavirus, the center said Wednesday.
* Sun-Times…
Labor leaders in the Chicago area and nationally Thursday urged private employers to pay workers during furloughs and called for federal legislation to ensure the continued flow of money and benefits to people — and not corporations — as the nation’s economic paralysis spreads because of the pandemic.
“Workers are making sacrifices right now,” said Robert Reiter Jr., president of the Chicago Federation of Labor. “We cannot let those sacrifices be in vain.”
He called on private employers to help their staffs. “This is a time when folks have to step up,” Reiter said.
Also, click here for an informational thread on prisoner release.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 2:26 pm:
=== “The Federal government is not supposed to be out there buying vast amounts of items and then shipping. You know, we’re not a shipping clerk.”===
“You’re on your own”
It’s on brand. This White House believes their response is a “10” out of “10”, and this too.
“I don’t take responsibility at all,”
- the President of the United States
The governors are trying. They are getting exactly what POTUS feels is owed, and no responsibility for any actions before or now.
- Moe Berg - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 2:29 pm:
After moving from denial there was a problem, Trump is now blame-shifting.
Trump’s already said, “I don’t take responsibility.
When asked if the buck stopped with him, “Yeah, normally, but I think when you hear the — this has never been done before in this country.”
Governors take note. You’re going to have to figure a lot of this out on your own.
- Unstable Genius - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 2:33 pm:
Based on 20 minutes of Googling, the drug mentioned by President Trump during his news conference today - called hydrochloroquine - could make a big difference - there have been recent drug trials on similar diseases - I encourage all to do their own in depth research.
- Responsa - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 2:40 pm:
I watched the entire presser from beginning to end. I would urge people to do that each day as much as possible rather than relying on the national media’s summaries. The Politico quote featured here bears little resemblance to the entirety of the information that was given by the president, vice-president, and the physicians who spoke and answered questions.
- Responsa - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 2:48 pm:
Here also is discussion of the subsequent pandemic simulation excercise from Oct. 2019
http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/event201/
- low level - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 2:48 pm:
The county is completely shut down that I can see; half the city departments are open. These are non essential positions and departments as well. Everyone was required to sign telecommuting forms at the city.
If u have a pc or laptop with all the proper requirements, you can work from home. If not, you MUST come to work regardless of chronic health conditions or age. Im not against staying productive, it just seems MLL is more concerned with making sure that her image is upheld as much as she about containing the virus.
Pritzker it seems has had a proper plan in place regardless of the politics from the beginning.
Every move MLL makes seems at least half if not more motivated by politics as it is public safety and keeping the virus at bay.
- Blue Dog Dem - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 2:52 pm:
Unstable. My son, the doctor, told me about chloroquine a week ago. He assured me that would be my prescribed treatment in case of need. He told me that again yesterday. Two weeks. We need everyone to listen to the experts to buy time. We can do it folks.
- hisgirlfriday - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 2:57 pm:
All this talk in Washington about bailing out casinos and hotels and airlines and restaurants… where is the focus on hospitals and doctor’s offices?
Trump needs to order factories to produce protective equipment and ventilators for doctors and nurses to use and compensate them for doing so through the federal government.
There also needs to be a way to deal with intake of less critical COVID patients independently of other health issues.
Seems like the federal/state govt. could at a discount or as a condition of any bailout rent space in hotels that are empty now with lack of travelers to house quarantined patients. Also could use closed big box and department store space for medical purposes.
- RNUG - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 3:05 pm:
Had to go out for one errand. Drove past the Springfield MMC S 6th screening clinic. Good news was I only saw medical people outside in the tent screening area … so that is encouraging.
- Responsa - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 3:14 pm:
==Trump needs to order factories to produce protective equipment and ventilators for doctors and nurses to use==
Factories have already voluntarily stepped up day and night manufacture and production of masks, ventilators and protective suits. The construction industry nation- wide has donated millions of these items already in their inventories to be used at the most critical hot spot locations. This was covered in the presser this morning.
- XonXoff - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 4:00 pm:
Our daughter is a Cardio Vascular Sonographer at two hospitals (now), north of Seattle. They are pre-screening patients in tents on the grass outdoors. They were gathering masks from her department because other areas of the hospital were “running out.” That was 48 hours ago.
– “There is an actual federal stockpile of things like PPE to ship to states. That is what they do.” –
Certainly, there must be. Bunkers full, somewhere. As far as the eye can see. Right?
But either in reality we’ve been fooled to believe that and it doesn’t exist, or our President is too thick to feel a responsibility to come up off that PPE gear and mobilize it to areas where it’s urgently needed. Instead they’re first discussing retooling and spinning up new manufacturing.
Shipping clerk. This guy isn’t responsible enough to be a decent shipping clerk and he couldn’t do an effective job with both hands patting himself on the back.
- thoughts matter - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 4:49 pm:
What exactly does the President think the federal
Governments’ stockpiles of ventilators, etc. are for if not to disburse them to the states? You know - the stockpiles Pence said last week were to be sent to the states?
I watched about an hour of Trumps performance at this mornings press conference. If he would please stop talking other than to briefly introduce the experts. And then listen to them And believe them… that would help.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 5:03 pm:
Not invoking the Defense Protection Act is immoral and cowardly. Did FDR sit around counting beans or worrying about how factory owners would react during World War Two? No, he acted. There were hundreds of planes, ships, tanks ect. that we didn’t need, but when something is important you spare no expense.