Re: Coronavirus
 

Not a surprise BC hospitals are starting to really struggle, you can have the increases in hospitalizations we have had in the past month and expect things to function.

100% of those under 50 in ICU are not vaccinated, some having to be intubated.

Fraser Health sent an internal memo advising staff on Friday they would cancel some surgeries through September, the memo was leaked as they didn't make this known to the public.

At the Kamloops hospital a 70 year old died waiting to see a doctor, had spent 6 hours in the waiting room, only 3 nurses on duty when there should be 24, the government doesn't dispute this either.

This is the same hospital that was reported in August or July to have lost upwards of 25% of its ER nurses as nurses quit.

Kamloops hospital sounds awful patients lined up in hallways.

Up North Prince George Hospital has 10 ICU beds but currently 15 ICU patients, non-COVID patients are being kept in hallways there as well.

ICU physician Dr. Simon Rose say's the healthcare system there is about to collapse.

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/some-b-c-hospi...ents-1.5581373

Re: Coronavirus
 

Upside Gamma, Beta, Alpha variant is now almost non-existent in BC.

Downside is Delta variant is near 100% of new cases.

Downside Mu variant is in BC although in small numbers.

Upside Mu appears less infectious compared to Delta.

Downside Mu is resistant to our vaccines more than any other variant.

Delta's infectious rate trumps Mu's ability to evade antibodies for now, so that is a good thing, maybe Delta will keep outcompeting it, but how long until one of these others becomes a Delta and Mu in one?


https://vancouversun.com/news/local-...need-to-know?r

BC is also monitoring for Epsilon, Zeta, & Theta in addition to others.

They are getting some pretty funky names.

Re: Coronavirus
 

Greek alphabet

Re: Coronavirus
 

Toronto police are poised to arrest any protesters that block emergency access to hospitals this morning, and I hope the Regina Police Service is similarly prepared. Find the keys to the paddy-wagon, load up on pepper spray and zip ties, and clear the weekend drunks out of cells to make room.
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/toronto-p...says-1.5582745

Re: Coronavirus
 

This tweet made me chuckle

Re: Coronavirus
 

Re: Zulu Variant This morning after reading Jsmith's post I thought it natural if after exhausting the Greek alphabet we could use the remaining words in the phonetic alphabet; Bravo Charlie Foxtrot Golf Hotel etc. India won't fly, and maybe not Lima or Zulu

Re: Coronavirus
 

Why not Buffy, Conan, Xena, Spock, Kojak...:lol:

Re: Coronavirus
 

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...2520037df3.jpg

Re: Coronavirus
 

Those who don't say hospitals are not struggling need to wake up, they are struggling and its keeping people form getting the healthcare they need.

Man in Edmonton needed to have a skin graft to repair damage caused by cancer that leaves him vulnerable to infections, he shows up at the hospital, all the prep is done, doctors come in ready to go, turns out the hospital didn't have a critical care bed available due to COVID patients, and his surgery was cancelled literally last minute.

Re: Coronavirus
 

The retail store my wife works at got slapped in a way across the face, about a week ago they pressured someone to come into work who had called in saying they had a bit of a cough and runny nose, and thought it might be COVID, they pressured this person enough to where they came into work, fast forward a week, person was tested for COVID a few days later, and positive, luckily the person was vaccinated and showing mild symptoms, however now like 50% of the staff in the store have been told to not come in for 2 weeks....maybe that will teach them not to pressure sick people into coming to work sick.

Not unusual, low paying jobs often more or less force people to work sick and often by significant veiled threats like if your sick maybe we will need to cut your hours for a couple months.

Re: Coronavirus
 

Whilst this is far from ideal it has happened with regularity in UK way before COVID was a thing. A very interesting and thought provoking documentary called "Hospital" has been shown on the BBC possibly now in its 3rd or 4th series so the last series was right in the thick of the virus and all the problems. However the first series was before all this and same stories of no critical care beds or ICU beds so operations often cancelled at last minute and theatre staff and top surgeons standing around unable to work. It really showed the extreme nature of how finely balanced the UK health care system is/was and how small things could have huge effects and then of course COVID hit!!!

Re: Coronavirus
 

15,000 severely immunocompromised people in BC will get an invitation for a 3rd vaccination.

An additional 120,000 moderately immune-compromised persons may get a 3rd shot, but the province is still determining if that is necessary.

Re: Coronavirus
 

Earl seems to have decided to have a bit of fun.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...099171b20e.jpg

Re: Coronavirus
 

Earl should be careful who he shows his QR code to (in BC) - it apparently shows information which might be handy for ID theft :)

Re: Coronavirus
 

Yes he may want to be careful indeed. Apparently anyone can download the necessary software needed, which I guess makes sense since the restrictions are fairly widespread and I see no way the government could provide it to just the places who need it, as every little out of the way, few know about coffee shops, and such need it, I wouldn't be surprised if some small places without a tech department even bother with scanning it.

I haven't even downloaded mine, I never go anywhere on the list where its required, and I don't have a printer and 90% of the time I don't have a smart phone on me, so why rush to get it just to save it on my desk top which well I guess I could get a pull wagon, and generator and pull it around with me, but it is easier just to avoid the non-essential places on the list, none of which I even utilize in my day to day life.

Upside to never having money, during a pandemic you don't miss any of the places that are closed or restricted because you never went to them anyhow. :rofl:

The proof is only required for:

• Indoor ticketed sporting events with more than 50 people
• Indoor concerts, theatre, dance and symphony events with more than 50 people
• Licensed restaurants and cafes and restaurants and cafes that offer table service (indoor and patio dining), including liquor tasting rooms in wineries, breweries or distilleries
• Pubs, bars and lounges (indoor and patio dining)
• Nightclubs, casinos and movie theatres
• Gyms, exercise/dance facilities/studios and these activities happening in recreation facilities
• Businesses offering indoor exercise/fitness
• Indoor adult group and team sports for people 22 years old or older
• Indoor organized events with 50 or more people.
  • For example: wedding and funeral receptions (outside of a funeral home), organized parties, conferences, trade fairs and workshops
• Indoor organized group recreational classes and activities with more than 50 people like pottery, art and choir
• Post-secondary student housing
• Spectators at indoor youth sporting events with more than 50 people

Literally not one thing on that list I would ever be going to anytime soon if ever.

Re: Coronavirus
 

I think a lot of busy establishments will pay as much attention to the vaccine scan results as this guy did his full body searches :lol:

Re: Coronavirus
 

He was probably told not to actually touch the person. :lol:

Re: Coronavirus
 

OH got the paper copy this morning in the mail.

He went online last Thursday, tried to download to his computer so he could print it out, and the download didn't work, so he phoned the number, told them what had happened.

A nice lady (he said) went through it with him again, then said "It should come in the mail in about 10 days".

As I said, it arrived this morning.

So you can get one by phoning. No cost.

You never know ................ it might be necessary if you need to go to hospital, or to a store like Walmart. Don't look at that list, think about where you might want or need to go, and get one just in case.

We don't have a smart phone, and don't want to get one, so paper copy for each of us.

Re: Coronavirus
 

Only reason I would be going to a hospital is as a patient, and I find it very unlikely that essential medical care would be denied over not having it.

Plus I never leave home anymore, I have become an isolated hermit. ;)

Re: Coronavirus
 

I think if you had to go to the hospital and it was an emergency they'd just rapid test you. That's what they did to me when I got hurt.

Re: Coronavirus
 

They didn't even do that when I was in the ER a couple months ago, they didn't even ask COVID screening questions, and the person in the next bed was only about 4 feet away, impossible to maintain the 6 feet the sign on the wall said. :rofl:

Other than signs on the wall about COVID there was no difference between that visit and any other I have made in my life, except it was quieter, less people than typical but it was before this current wave.

Plus the government has made it quite clear people cannot be denied healthcare due to vaccine status, you don't even need to be vaccinated to access healthcare, the College Of Physicians has stated the same as a reminder to doctors who have tried to deny unvaccinated access to medical care.

Pretty low risk my wife would end up in hospital and I would be visiting, but good chance they may not even let visitors into the mental health ward as while patients have rooms, they (any hospital I have been admitted to anyhow) generally do not permit mental health patients to bring visitors to said rooms, and visitation has to take place in the open area in view of nurses, kind of like a prison movie in a way.

It's due to the fact many in mental health wards have addiction issues and well their friends and family will bring drugs, oh and patients have been known to bring people to their rooms to have sex, the mental health ward can get a tad kinky wild sometimes.

Re: Coronavirus
 

Our numbers are crap but the hospitality business is just starting to come back, so nobody's counting on the provincial government to bring in any serious counter-measures.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...7527dad03f.jpg

Re: Coronavirus
 

BC Nurses union is against vaccine mandate which they had already made clear a few weeks ago. I get the point of the union pointing out there is a nursing shortage so firing nurses for not vaccinating would make things worse, not like a nurse can be trained quickly its 4 to 5 years of education, and there are already not enough applicants.

https://globalnews.ca/video/8191235/...kers/#autoplay

Re: Coronavirus
 

Alberta healthcare system on verge of collapse as Covid cases and anti-vax sentiments rise

Re: Coronavirus
 

Alberta isn't alone, parts of BC have a healthcare system on the verge of collapse as well, Kamloops hospital and Prince George seem particularly bad, massive nursing shortage as well, a lady died in Kamloops ER in the waiting room, 24 nurses is what that area should have had staffing wise, but due to the shortage apparently only 3 nurses actually working.

However our government is placing restrictions in place and mandatory vaccines for certain groups of workers, so not quite the same, but the right wing loons are still spreading COVID like wildfire with their inability to get vaccinated, and their idiotic protests.

Re: Coronavirus
 

Are the political preferences of those admitted to hospital collected in BC? Are you able to point to any evidence that those spreading Covid are "right wing loons"? If you do, let's see it please as that would contradict the evidence that I referred to above.

Re: Coronavirus
 

Aren't people admitted to hospital for covid now necessarily right wing loons? If they were not they'd be vaccinated and wouldn't need to be admitted.

Re: Coronavirus
 

:hysterical:
You are a wind up merchant, indeed! There are people who have been fully vaccinated who have been a) admitted to hospital and b) are in ICU - it's not just the loony left or right!

That's the problem - many fully vaccinated people believe themselves invincible - they are the dangerous ones, the ones who think because they are vaccinated they a) can't catch it and b) can't pass it on - and don't bother taking basic precautions!

Re: Coronavirus
 

It's certainly not the fully vaccinated filling up the ICU's in BC

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...1c74004bf.jpeg



The people in BC make it easy the anti-vaxx tend to make it well known what their political leanings are, they even organize big group gatherings holding signs straight from the Trump playbook, and well the right leaning areas of BC have the highest case loads and lowest vaccination rates.

Re: Coronavirus
 

There are 2 things wrong with that assumption. Fully vaccinated are being admitted. Those that are not vaccinated are most likely to be 41 year old female Liberal voters, if my memory serves me correctly. I appreciate that such people may be loons, but I hardly think they would be deemed to be "right wing," although I accept that I may be wrong.

Re: Coronavirus
 

Yes, you said that before, even adding from Ontario. It was wrong then and still is as shown by the figures I gave you.

And Siouxie's right, the loons may be left or right.
Jeremy Corbyn's brother Piers is one. Climate change denier as well as anti-vax.

Re: Coronavirus
 

The vast majority of anti-vaxxers are right wing. Taking horse dewormer or bleach in lieu of medicine is a badge of loyalty to Fox News. The people dying of covid are the unvaccinated. I assume they don't commit to their convictions to the extent of staying out of hospital so we may reasonably say that conservatives are clogging the hospitals and causing innocent, vaccinated, people to die for want of ICU availability. It's jolly selfish, like regressive taxation.

Re: Coronavirus
 

Alberta government has come to it's senses a bit.

Seems Alberta hospitals are in bad shape.

"Without interventions, Kenney said, Alberta hospitals may run out of staff and intensive care beds within the next 10 days."

Re: Coronavirus
 

Evidence please.

Here's a link to the article that I referred to above, I appreciate that it is somewhat out of date: Typical 'vaccine hesitant' person is a 42-year-old Ontario woman who votes Liberal: Abacus polling - Macleans.ca

Re: Coronavirus
 

These people are the extremes though, left and right, there are a lot of right, but they don't stand for your average right wing leaning citizen, these anti vaxxers are the same people that believe in all these idiotic conspiracy theories and that Trump was a respected president! My political stance is right wing and I don't believe or agree with any of that.

I 100% agree that these people are selfish, getting the vaccine is not just about yourself, its about everyone, and trying to get back to a normal ordinary world again, thats why I got my vaccine, lets move on! were never going to while you have people breaking the chain....(left and right wing anti vaxxers)..... heard immunity will also help the people who legitmately cannot have the vaccine.

It appears to me that when vaccinated people contract covid, its not life threatening, (in most cases). So Iet people make their choice... just don't go clogging up the hospitals....who have legitimate covid cases to care for. Maybe sound a little harsh, but I am getting really tired of it now, and Im sure many people are aswell. Get your jab and lets move on or this will never end..

Re: Coronavirus
 

I imagine that part of the reluctance as that society was told that the vaccines would put an end to the issues resulting from the pandemic. However, fully vaccinated are still being admitted while, for most people, the symptoms are so minor that they are not even able to tell that they have it. I fully accept that this is not the case for all.

I am fully vaccinated.

What will happen when a new variant raises its head, or, after all of people have been vaccinated, people are still being admitted to hospital? Why aren't any governments simply mandating the vaccine for all?

Re: Coronavirus
 

Ah...the merely hesitant as opposed to full on nutters.
Three quarters (73 percent) of the nutters think COVID-19 is a hoax or greatly exaggerated, while only 33 percent of the hesitant buy that argument.
A third of the merely hesitant say their doctor could persuade them and a quarter say friends and family can, whereas Only 6 percent of the nutters say that their doctor could change their mind and only 3 percent say a friend or family member could.

Thanks for the link that shows the huge differences between the nutters and the rest that some of us are talking about.

Re: Coronavirus
 

It's unfortunate that some are unable to have a discussion without resorting to name calling. I seem to recall that you did something similar on here when discussing the Brexit vote.

Re: Coronavirus
 

Well what word would you use to describe science deniers who believe lizards are controlling governments and that vaccines include a microchip?
Nutters seems quite reserved.

Are you gong to back up the Brexit allegation, what with you being a lawyer and all?

Re: Coronavirus
 

I knew Alberta was in bad shape patient wise in hospital, but its worse than I thought.

Alberta now has 18,706 active cases of COVID-19.

896 patients in hospital across the province with COVID-19, including 222 in intensive care.As a last resort, some patients may even be transferred to Ontario, said Dr. Verna Yiu, president and CEO of Alberta Health Services (AHS), on Thursday.

(BC Government had said yesterday BC is not in a position to take patients from Alberta, so I assume SK and MB probably aren't either which is why Ontario is the option.)



BC has 5,844 active cases

291 people are in hospital, with 134 in intensive care.

Rate of hospitalization has slowed a bit, 11 percent increase over last Thursday which is lower than it has been, # of patients in hospitals today vs August 16 is still 123% increase.

Interior Health really shouldn't be nearly the same level as Fraser considering Fraser has 1 million more people in its catchment area.

• 213 new cases in Interior Health, which has 1,504 total active cases.
• 203 new cases in Fraser Health, which has 1,784 total active cases.
• 105 new cases in Vancouver Coastal Health, which has 1,051 total active cases.
• 81 new cases in Island Health, which has 638 total active cases.
• 104 new cases in Northern Health, which has 857 total active cases.