GRAND OPENING - GRAND CLOSING (Florida)

[Jrb1979]

HIPAA protects the patient privacy and their medical information.

One can have a normal temp with COVID but a fever for other illnesses. Temperature checks alone are ineffective IMO

You don't have to release the employee's name. A grocery store where I live had an employee test positive and as soon as they found out they released information telling people the days that person worked. They closed for a day to do a deep cleaning. Doing that would do a lot to help slow the spread.

 

[sam_gordon]

Totally different workfield. Today I went to the hair dresser, last time I went was about 12 weeks ago exactly the day before the lockdown started. So we talk about the lockdown and how it is for people in contact professions. I asked her if there were special arrangements to get tested easier (without symptoms) for hair dressers. As they do have some arrangements for people working in health care and teachers in the Netherlands. So to have some arrangement for contact professions seemed obvious. But she told me, she didn't get tested, as she comes into contact with so many people and then she could keep going for tests constantly. She didn't have symptoms so she just assumed it would be okay. Testing her would be BS, in her own words.

And I really thought: What is wrong with you? You know you get into contact with a lot of people!
She also told me that before the lockdown really started and there was a choice to work yes or no, she stayed at home, because she didn't wanted to get sick.
(And I was annoyed that she didn't ask me any questions whether or not I have symptoms, which she is supposed to do)
Let's say, I am very happy with how my hair turned out, but also very happy that I don't have to go back for the next 2 months.

So, I am assuming, many people will go to work with or without symptoms and not getting tested because they come into contact with too many people.

I don't disagree with the hairdresser. If you don't have symptoms, why get tested?
1) The result is only going to tell you what your status is at that point in time. It doesn't mean that couldn't change the next day.
2) Aren't you supposed to self quarantine while waiting on the results? So you're out of work for 3 days to 2 weeks... again with no symptoms.

Now, if there was a valid way to test everyone every day and get the results back within that day time frame, I can understand.

 

[godisney14]

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act requires smaller businesses (fewer than 500 employees) to provide a certain amount of paid time off for COVID-related reasons, including staying at home to care for a family member quarantined, or for a child when schools are closed. There are no Federal programs for businesses with more than 500 employees, but some cities and states have similar coverages for these larger businesses. And, of course, some businesses are providing these benefits on their own without such laws even covering them.

HIPAA protects the patient privacy and their medical information.

One can have a normal temp with COVID but a fever for other illnesses. Temperature checks alone are ineffective IMO

Exactly, HIPAA protects identification of a patient.

It does not prohibit a business from alerting the public of a positive case just generally.

 

[TLSnell1981]

And its why it's in the best interest of all businesses to tell the public if one of their employees had tested positive. It would help in slowing the spread. Its really sad that too many are more worried about PR then helping people from spreading Covid.

Employers must follow state and local guidelines. The health department steps in when there is a positive test.

 

[Jrb1979]

Employers must follow state and local guidelines. The health department steps in when there is a positive test.

It feels like many aren't doing it by letting people that have gotten tested to continue to work while waiting for results. My job made me stay home for 2 weeks while I waited for my wife's test result.

 

[Searc]

And its why it's in the best interest of all businesses to tell the public if one of their employees had tested positive. It would help in slowing the spread. Its really sad that too many are more worried about PR then helping people from spreading Covid.

I appreciate businesses here who publicly announce they have had employees test positive or they've been notified of positive exposure. The transparency and openness is refreshing.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Exactly, HIPAA protects identification of a patient.

It does not prohibit a business from alerting the public of a positive case just generally.

Personally do you really feel it's necessary? Technically one can be in the same room with a positive patient but not be considered a close contact.

 

[godisney14]

You don't have to release the employee's name. A grocery store where I live had an employee test positive and as soon as they found out they released information telling people the days that person worked. They closed for a day to do a deep cleaning. Doing that would do a lot to help slow the spread.

Not a common practice, but just as you mentioned, there are a few stores in my area that have put up notices on the front door when an employee tests positive. And, the Costcos near me sends out notices to all employees if one of them tested positive. This information then gets sent out to the public through various social media platforms.

 

[gwynne]

And its why it's in the best interest of all businesses to tell the public if one of their employees had tested positive. It would help in slowing the spread. Its really sad that too many are more worried about PR then helping people from spreading Covid.

Businesses/restaurants in our area have been doing this. An employee.. not the name of course.

Contact tracing is pretty much a waste of time when test results are coming back 8+ days post-test. (And it's often a battle here to even score a testing slot....yet another problem that obscures the full impact.)

So I am thankful for the ethical businesses that are willing to give a heads up.

 

[TLSnell1981]

It feels like many aren't doing it by letting people that have gotten tested to continue to work while waiting for results. My job made me stay home for 2 weeks while I waited for my wife's test result.

Where do you get "many"? You are told to quarantine if you are waiting results unless it's a routine or random test.


3 Key Steps to Take While Waiting for Your COVID-19 Test Result
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/201...S_KeyStepsWhenWaitingForCOVID-19Results_3.pdf

 

[Karin1984]

I don't disagree with the hairdresser. If you don't have symptoms, why get tested?
1) The result is only going to tell you what your status is at that point in time. It doesn't mean that couldn't change the next day.
2) Aren't you supposed to self quarantine while waiting on the results? So you're out of work for 3 days to 2 weeks... again with no symptoms.

Now, if there was a valid way to test everyone every day and get the results back within that day time frame, I can understand.

True, I agree with that, if it was a person in a non-contact profession.
I do think it's different for people who come in contact with several different people on any given day. THey work without protection, and should be able to get tested without symptoms. As it's very easy for people in contact professions to transfer it from one customer to the next.
If she is positive without symptoms, transfers it to me and I develop symptoms after 2 weeks, get tested and I turn out to be positive as well. Then the hairdresser has possibly transferred it to about 6-10 people per day for over fourteen days.
As I do not come into contact with many people (work from home, no family around), chances I transfer it are a lot lower then for a contact profession.

Here in NL test results should be available within 2 days and apparently most of the time they make that deadline. My hairdresser is part of a chain and how I understand it, she should get paid if she takes two sick days.

 

[godisney14]

True, contact tracing does become more meaningless as test turnaround time gets longer.
And the way contact tracing is being done in the US, as of now, is really just a better-than-nothing tool. It’s useful in places with low number of cases, but is quickly overwhelmed when there is a hotspot. The manual, brute force method that is the US’s version of contact tracing isn’t capable of handling large increases in cases. Thanks to all of the misinformed “But, my freedom!” people in America.

My hairdresser is part of a chain and how I understand it, she should get paid if she takes two sick days.

That would maybe depend on her employment status with the chain from what I know. If her employment is W2, and the chain has less than 500 employees, then the Federal program I mentioned in an earlier post covers taking time off to stay at home while waiting for test results. If the chain is larger than 500 employees, hopefully, the employer, city, or state, has similar protections in place.

 

[TLSnell1981]

True, I agree with that, if it was a person in a non-contact profession.
I do think it's different for people who come in contact with several different people on any given day. THey work without protection, and should be able to get tested without symptoms. As it's very easy for people in contact professions to transfer it from one customer to the next.
If she is positive without symptoms, transfers it to me and I develop symptoms after 2 weeks, get tested and I turn out to be positive as well. Then the hairdresser has possibly transferred it to about 6-10 people per day for over fourteen days.
As I do not come into contact with many people (work from home, no family around), chances I transfer it are a lot lower then for a contact profession.

Here in NL test results should be available within 2 days and apparently most of the time they make that deadline. My hairdresser is part of a chain and how I understand it, she should get paid if she takes two sick days.

Average incubation period is 4-5 days. Two weeks or more is rare.

 

[TLSnell1981]

My hairdresser works from behind the chair. She is wearing gloves and a mask. Contact is in fifteen minute intervals or less. There is no one within six feet (more like ten feet) of either of us. I'm comfortable with these precautions. In fact much more than in a grocery store.

 

[sheilafri]

What are the hospitalizations and ICU numbers? Have they ramped up testing and that’s why numbers are increasing?

In many, if not most, places the positivity rate has also risen. This means that increased testing does NOT account for the increase in case numbers. It means that testing is not adequate to keep up with the spread of the virus. My understanding is that adequate testing will yield well below a 5% positivity rate. As of today, 34 states have a positivity rate over the recommended rate.

 

[sam_gordon]

I do think it's different for people who come in contact with several different people on any given day. THey work without protection, and should be able to get tested without symptoms.

First, anyone around here can get tested with or without symptoms.
Second, what do you mean they work without protection? They're not wearing gloves, masks, or face shields? Now THAT is a problem.
Last but not least, look at this sample time frame... work on Monday. Now you're exposed to people. Take test on Tuesday, wait two days, get results on Thursday (let's be generous and say Wednesday night). The test is negative, so they work Thursday. Now you're exposed to people and need to get tested on Friday. Even assuming they get results back over the weekend, you're back to working Monday. So they're working two days a week. The other days are waiting for test results.

I get asymptomatic spread is a thing. But how often should people get tested and then not work while waiting on results?

 

[TLSnell1981]

Maybe testing anyone and everyone without symptoms wasn't a good idea. Now we have a nationwide shortage of testing supplies AND a backlog of tests waiting to be processed.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Death of two siblings linked to trip to Orlando. Stay safe out there. Stay home.

 

[TLSnell1981]

..

Death of two siblings linked to trip to Orlando. Stay safe out there. Stay home.

Do you realize most cases are contracted at home from family members?

 

[Pyotr]

..

Do you realize most cases are contracted at home from family members?

Didn't you hear? People no longer get COVID in New York. It must have been that trip to Florida in early June when the numbers were low.