Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Stewart, scientists are proposing tracking coronavirus in sewers to uncover the spread of the virus.  
Results from sewer studies could identify areas with high infection to give public health officials notice of the urgency for testing and contact tracing.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Are we OK with the virus rebounding?
The coronavirus spreads like wildfire.  
Are we willing to balance choices we know will impact the world we live in?  
Are we willing to surrender the me for the we?  
We endured the pain of stay-at-home orders,
why not hang in to enjoy the gain of staying at home?

There is a cost to staying closed, there is also a cost to reopening too soon and too fast -
increasing personal contacts (without social distancing) promotes greater spread. 

It's NOT about you or me, it's about we.  
Crisis is the time to come together.  
As citizens we have a role to play: "Wear a mask!" 

Stewart Myrent

I saw in the last day or so, that the neighboring State of IN, is embarking on a slow procedure to re-open their state for businesses, in I believe 4 stages.  The 3rd stage, I believe scheduled for mid- to late-June allows for the opening of MOST businesses & the 4th & final stage (when the state will be totally open for business) is scheduled for (you guessed it!) the 4th of July.  I understand the symbolism of the 4th of July, here in America, but I am very concerned about that particular target date, as I'm thinking it might just upset, or reverse, any gains we've made against this particular virus by then.  I understand that people are getting antsy & are experiencing "cabin fever", but I'm also thinking if you can "suck it up" for another 2 mos. or so, we might have a chance of escaping this situation w/o having the total cases & deaths spiking up again.  We are (supposedly) the most advanced nation in the world.  How could we allow this to happen on our watch?  Other (smaller) nations have had much more success than we, in dealing wth this pandemic.  I'm guessing that since they're smaller nations, the pandemic must be easier to control.

Stewart Myrent

I forgot to mention in the previous post that another neighboring state to IL, the great State of MI, is experiencing something that would totally shock me if it happened here in IL.  Armed protesters (some supposedly with AR-15s - apparently, state law allows this) stormed the State Capitol building (none of them were wearing ANY masks) & were getting in the faces of the state troopers (who were there to maintain order). No violence occurred - because the protesters were there to persuade the State Legislature to override the governor's stay-at-home restrictions.  I heard later that if any of the protesters is covid-19 positive & infected any of the troopers, it could be considered an assault, because they really got in the troopers' faces.  I have to say, what's wrong with some people?  I was just curious if anyone else has any opinion on this subject.

Jack Edmund Bookwalter

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Today is National Nurses Day.

The Covid-19 pandemic is exhausting our nurses.

Let's show them love,

and the respect they deserve, 

for risking their lives

with our sincere gratitude,

manifested in doing all we can

to protect their lives and wellness

by social distancing, wearing masks,

and soap and water hand washing too.

These gifts - to stop the spread -

are the gifts our nurses tell us they most want.

David St. Pierre Bantz

Describing the "protests" inside the MI capitol by the pro-virus pro-death crowd as occuring with "no violence" is inaccurate. Images I saw had angry-looking folks shouting inches away into the faces of silent troopers, who brandished no weapons. It's good rifles were not fired but make no mistake: this is violence designed to intimidate and to intentionally injure or kill others by spread of cororonavirus and COVI-19. And as fall-out, a security guard at a store in MI who asked a customer to wear a mask was shot dead in response.

"Protest" signs at these events have included "Sacrafice the Weak" and "Arbeit Macht Frei." Violent militias with overt Nazi ideologies seeking a "race war" have been recruiting at these events. Sympathetic commentariats regularly shrug at an anticipated 100,000 excess U.S. deaths this year (more than military combat deaths in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan over 50 years combined), insisting it's worth it to save busines profits.

As a verteran of some genuinely non-violent largely silent protests for civil rights and ending violence, I am offended by description of these sponsored terrorist events as non-violent protests.

Nancy Doyle (Sudlow)

Ronald I. Zager

I agree with what Nancy said.  It's good that at least one member of the NTHS-W class of '64 is still a wise-thinker and clear writer  Well two, actually...both Dave  and Nancy.  :-)

Nancy Doyle (Sudlow)

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

The theme for National Nurses Week 2020 "Compassion/Expertise/Trust" which began yesterday on May 6th ends on May 12th, Florence Nightingale's birthday.

At the end of the 19th century, Florence Nightingale, dubbed the "Lady with the Lamp" because of her habit of making rounds at night, founded modern nursing. Thanks to her strict use of hand-washing and hygiene practices caring for wounded soldiers in the Crimean War, Florence and her helpers reduced the death rate from 42% to 2%, and ushered in nursing as we know it today.

Let's honor nurses everywhere, especially the incredible workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

In honor of the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth, W.H.O. has designated 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse in recognition of the dedication and commitment to their patients, and their profession, and the risks associated with nursing.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

"If you're going through hell, keep going."

attributed to Winston Churchill

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

We are in the midst of National Nurses Week.

Nurses are begging us to stay at home and stay well.

Last week we were told we had moved beyond the need for the Coronavirus Task Force.

Tonight three members of the task force - Dr Fauci and the heads of CDC and FDA - are in some form of quarantine after virus exposure in the White House.

Are we listening to our frontline nurses' plea?

We're in a public health crisis.  
Coronavirus is in the White House.

Protect yourself and others:

Stay at home (if you are able).  
Wear a mask and social distance when you must be out.

Stewart Myrent

I just wanted to wish all the Mothers & Grandmothers out there a very Happy Mother's Day.  It wasn't typical May weather today, as I actually witnessed snowflakes coming down earlier today.  I also wanted to add that I am so glad that it's the women who bear the childen, as they are uniquely predisposed to not only bear the children, but also to give them all the nurturing & love that we all need.  I am fairly certain that if men somehow were the ones to go through gestation & bear the chidren, that 0 couples would have more than 1 child, as I can certainly envision pretty much every man saying, "I am never going through this ever again & to ensure that outcome, you are NEVER touching me again."  I have heard for the longest time, though, that women, after going through the pain of childbirth, have relatively short memories of their agonies, and, consequently, families with multiple children exist.  It is, I believe, because of the natural presence of empathy in women, that makes them specially qualified to be not only parents, but specifically, mothers.  Happy Mother's Day to you all - hope you had a great day!

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Thanks, Stewart, for a beautiful Mother's Day greeting.

I didn't notice snow in Oshkosh, but it was brisk. I spent a great deal of time outside hiking with four of my grandchildren.

I can vouch for the memory of the pain of childbirth fading fast.

Lotsa air hugs today... the pandemic and social distancing may well be a vivid memory.

Jack Edmund Bookwalter

OK all you Chicago art lovers. After the "Farmer With a Pitchfork" painting (which Janis showed us the revised social distancing version) this is the SECOND most famous piece of art in the Chicago Art Instiute. But wait a minute..its different..missing something....Oh.. Yeah...right   (sigh)

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Happy Birthday, Jack.

Were you born on Mother's Day, 1946?

Georges Seurat painted a Sunday afternoon quite unlike yesterday.

Thanks for including us in your birthday of social distancing...

...wonder how long 'til we can gather on La Grande Jatte.

Happy Birthday, dear Jack. Happy Birthday to you.

Enjoy your day.

Vic Stroetzel

Lots of dots on the Seurat, I also wondered what the Minkey( you have to say it as Inspector Clousseau) was up to.

Hope you're all well, and stay that way for a while. I was at the Lowes I worked at last Saturday. No more than 10 percent wore masks. If I hear 1 more person say it's their 1st Amendment rights...........

Vic

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Vic, I too have had it with all the talk about 1st Amendment rights... from people who carry guns to protect their lives, but won't social distance or wear a mask to protect others' lives. Hope you read David Bantz's post #1719: "angry-looking folks shouting inches away into the faces of silent troopers, who brandished no weapons ... this is violence designed to intimidate and to intentionally injure or kill others by spread of coronavirus and COVID-19."

"Lots of dots on the Seurat... "
are you wondering about the "Minkey" on a leash in Seurat's La Grande Jatte on a busy Sunday afternoon?

Here's to wearing our masks and staying well.  
Janis

Jack Edmund Bookwalter

By gosh there IS a "minkey" in the original Suerat. 'Never noticed. I never got past those bustles.

As far as the screaming nutcases who won't social distance, I call them free-dumb fighters,

Stewart Myrent

Jack, loved the "free-dumb fighters" epithet.  I am looking for humor wherever I can find it.  Keep it up.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

"The Lady With the Diagrams"

Florence Nightingale, born May 12, 1820

Florence Nightingale knew that data is only as persuasive as the graphs that illustrate them; she was a pioneer in data visualization who made the polar area graph famous. She showed that soldiers in Scutari died of preventable diseases rather than their battle wounds, and that their mortality rate plummeted when a sanitation commission cleaned up the hospital's infected water supply. She used the information to save countless more civilians and soldiers from dying because of poor living standards and sanitation at home.

In 1858, Florence Nightingale, who was not allowed to attend university because of her gender, was elected the first female member of the Royal Statistical Society.  
Mathematicians and data scientists revere Florence Nightingale as one of history's most important statisticians.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

The numbers of Americans who have suffered with COVID-19 and died from the virus far exceed any other nation in number or by percentage. A large portion of our populace has apparently decided either they are not subject to the coronavirus or they don't care about those who are. People are crowding into Wisconsin bars without masks and congregating with no regard for social distancing. Have we forgotten the pleas of nurses who put themselves at great risk to care for the hundreds of thousands of very sick people who have crowded our hospitals? Ironic that nurses have been forced to beg for masks while others proudly disparage wearing them. Do we believe essential workers are sacrificial workers? The people who are dying have names, children, spouses, parents, and friends.

Give me the grace to wear a mask and social distance to do my part to stop the spread.

Stewart Myrent

Janis, I have been doing my calculations every time I see the latest stats on total U.S. cases & total deaths from virus & the death rate has been consistently over 5%, closer to 5.5%, but I heard that the death total might be underestimated, so it could be higher.  On the other hand, w/o adequate testing, the total cases may be substantially higher & consequently, the death rate lower.  But, we easily have both the highest infection rate & the highest death rate, in the world.  USA!  USA!  I think I mentioned to you that I saw on TV yesterday that WI was open for business on Fri. & I saw lots of people in the restaurants & bars, crammed together, but no one was wearing a mask & I was wondering how long it would take for WI to experience an uptick in Covid cases, but I didn't have to wait long for an answer, as during the same broadcast, they announced that WI was experiencing a major surge in Covid cases, already.

Stewart Myrent

Relative to my post of yesterday, stating that the day WI opened up bars & restaurants, they immediately experienced a surge in new Covid-19 cases, by the next day:  I mentioned this fact to former classmate Bob Lawrence (nee Fimoff) & he said he heard because of the incubation period for the virus (apparently, 1 to 3 wks.), this (supposedly) immediate surge in Covid cases had 0 to do with opening up the bars & restaurants for business & was just a matter of coincidental timing, w/o the added dangers of doing without social distancing & mask-wearing.  So, I am now guessing that WI will experience a huge surge in cases, in the next few weeks.  Could IL be far behind?