Coronavirus Update: 3/7/20 – RI Moves to Level 2 Visitor Restriction for Nursing Homes, Healthcare Facilities

Note: Text message sent out by one RI Nursing Home: “The Health Dept. has issued a recommendation that reads, “The RI DOH has issued a level 2 visitors restriction. This is to protect your loved ones from potential illness. You will need to check in with reception for a brief questioner upon entering the building. Visiting hours will be 9am -12pm and 5pm -7pm daily. No child under the age of 18 is allowed to visit. All residents are not able to leave the building unless for medical necessity.” See below, under “Rhode Island” for more info.

(Note: Updates throughout the day – noted in Italics from original publication time 5am)

This might be the biggest week ahead of us…expect to see school closures and more significant protocols at hospitals and healthcare facilities. Events will be canceled, more than not.

International

Vatican City – First reported case

Malta – 12 year old girl tested positive – she and her family had traveled to northern Italy – they are all in an isolated area of the local hospital

A Nile cruise boat carrying over 150 tourists and Egyptian crew is under quarantine in the southern city of Luxor after 12 people tested positive

Summer Olympics – may consider being held without spectators? Or canceled.

China cases reaching 100,000 – as reported cases consider to slow

National

The US Map of states has turned almost completely red, noting states with cases. We expect that within days there will be no state exempt.

2 new deaths in Washington – and a new nursing home now has the virus

President Trump decided not to go to the CDC on Friday – so their research and activities were not interrupted.

NBA – Memo sent to teams telling them they should be prepared to play games – without attendees. (Note: LeBrun James said he would not play without fans, it is reported)

Austin, Texas SXSW Festival cancelled, after extreme pressure to do so.

Hawaii’s first case was a Princess Cruise passenger.

Washington, DC has had its first case – a person who had attended the AIPAC Conference

Florida – 2 deaths reported

MIT stops meetings larger than 150 people.

Biogen in Boston – 3 people test positive were exposed to another who was positive.

Massachusetts has 7 presumptive cases

Apple is rejecting apps that do not come from bona fide health organizations to prevent health scams, etc.

Facebook bannings ads for medical masks.

Cruise Ship off LA – it’s cruising in circles, with over 22 people potentially with coronavirus – the ship will now go to a commercial site and people will be tested, and those needing quarantine will be.

Delivery Services – DoorDash, Instacart, are offering “leave at the door” or “curbside delivery” requests for food/groceries

Rhode Island

Nursing Homes & Healthcare Settings – The Health Dept. has issued a recommendation that reads, “The RI DOH has issued a level 2 visitors restriction. This is to protect your loved ones from potential illness. You will need to check in with reception for a brief questioner upon entering the building. Visiting hours will be 9am -12pm and 5pm -7pm daily. No child under the age of 18 is allowed to visit. All residents are not able to leave the building unless for medical necessity. See more info, below.

Lifespan Hospitals – visitation is now being discouraged at all Lifespan hospitals, according to a report on NBC10

The Department of Education is asked to establish remote learning protocols

Bryant’s Women’s Summit has been postponed

RI legislature considering ways to protect workers income and jobs if they are quarantined.

Brown University canceling all events with 100 or more attendance.

RIDOH Update:

Confirmed 3rd presumptive case of a woman in her 60s, who is at home with mild symptoms. This person was tested because she was symptomatic and had direct, face-to-face contact with a person with confirmed COVID-19 in New York in late February. Extensive contact tracing is being done. All people who have had direct, face-to-face contact with this person are being instructed to self-quarantine. Contact tracing includes children and adults associated with Smithfield Avenue Nursery in Pawtucket, where this person works.

Additional updates

• RIDOH officials held a call with the leadership of nursing homes throughout Rhode Island today to discuss enhanced measures to protect residents. RIDOH asked all facilities to, as of tomorrow morning or sooner:
  • Restrict visitor hours.
  • Not allow people to visit if they are younger than 18 years of age or are feeling sick or experiencing any of the following symptoms: cough, fever, chills, runny nose, stuffy nose, sore throat, or shortness of breath.
  • Actively screen staff, visitors, vendors, and all other people who enter facilities for illness and COVID-19 risks (i.e., travel history, or exposure to someone under investigation for COVID-19). People who have traveled internationally in the last 14 days will be asked to not enter facilities.
  • Only allow residents to leave for medical appointments (as opposed to nonessential appointments, such as an appointment with a hairdresser or a visit to a family member). This is a way to limit the possibility that a resident will get ill and bring that illness back into the facility.
• As a state with COVID-19 cases, Rhode Island has received an immediate $500,000 dollars in federal funds to support public health response actions such as epidemiological work, laboratory work and supplies, risk communications support, and other activities related to public health emergency operations. Additional federal appropriations are being considered.

St. Ray’s has pulled out of sports tournaments

Connecticut has one case at Danbury/Norwalk Hospital

Preparedness

List of products that fights Coronavirus – CDC has provided this list from the American Chemistry Assoc:

https://www.americanchemistry.com/Novel-Coronavirus-Fighting-Products-List.pdf

Vodka Thing – it has to be 120% proof – which is double its alcohol content – most vodkas like this are imported, Russian vodka and those described most likely to taste like moonshine.

Sanitizer Recipe: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hand-sanitizer-coronavirus-make-your-own/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&linkId=83564336

Churches – Some churches are opting for individually wrapped communion wafers – and suspending drinking of wine/juice from a chalice.

Some perspective…remember this! Coronavirus takes our attention – but then there’s the regular #Flu – In 2020, there have been 551 flu-related hospitalizations & 9 flu-related deaths in Rhode Island. 6 of those deaths were people age 65 or older

CVS is waiving all co-pays for test for commercial, Medicare and Medicaid members and for 90 days they will offer zero-dollar co-pay telemedicine visits for any reason.  More, here: https://www.cvshealth.com/newsroom/press-releases/cvs-health-response-coronavirus-outbreak

“If this virus goes away, this is the third coronavirus that we’ve seen in less than 20 years,” Bright, of BARDA, (Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority) said. “I’m sure we’ll see another one. We should finish the job (of developing vaccines).”