By Steve Rhodes
“Hospitals are gearing up for the rise in COVID-19 cases. Public health officials continue to see numbers trending up. Black and brown communities are reporting the vast number of cases. In the last month, five Chicago area zip codes in Latino neighborhoods have seen the most confirmed cases in the state,” WGN-TV reports.
“Little Village, Cicero, Brighton Park, Belmont-Cragin, Hermosa and West Lawn communities have each reported more than 2,000 cases. The 60629 zip code, West Lawn, reported the most with nearly 2,700 new cases since mid-October – about 90 COVID-19 cases a day.”
*
“Hospitals serving primarily low-income communities of color on the South and West sides expressed the greatest concern about the rising number of cases,” the Sun-Times reports.
“[Roseland Community Hospital] has eight COVID patients, half of which are in critical care. After rising cases filled more than 20% of the hospital’s 100-plus beds last spring, Roseland had no coronavirus patients for months, and then the rise began again in October . . .
“Roseland, which treats a predominantly Black and low-income population, has converted its lobby into a COVID care center and is seeing a large jump in drive-thru testing, he said.
“Sinai Health System, which serves the South and West sides, saw cases increase about four times in just two weeks, said spokesman Dan Regan. There are about 75 cases between Mount Sinai and Holy Cross, he said.
“John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County has stopped elective surgeries to free up hospital beds and is assessing other strategies, spokeswoman Deborah Song said.
“Ramping up staffing as the case counts rise is one of the hospital’s biggest challenges, she added.
“Even big hospitals cite staffing as a challenge. Rush University Medical Center employs about 2,600 nurses but it needs more to keep up with the increase in COVID cases, officials there say. Rush is reaching out to retirees and other sources for additional staffing.”
*
“A group of nursing home workers is threatening to strike over COVID-19 concerns as the second wave of the virus is hitting,” ABC7 Chicago reports.
“Hundreds of workers at 11 Illinois locations of Infinity Health Care Management nursing homes are planning to strike on Nov. 23. Nine of those nursing homes are in the Chicago area.
“Workers gathered outside City View Multicare Center in Cicero Friday afternoon, including certified nursing assistants, rehabilitation aides and housekeepers. They’re demanding at least a $15 an hour wage and hazard pay with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Workers said they also want better testing protocols and proper PPE.”
*
“For COVID-19 survivor Brian Kuhns, life is hospital visits, physical therapy, and months after his rare double lung transplant at Northwestern Memorial, an effort to heal,” ABC7 Chicago reports.
“I’m still not sleeping. I can’t eat. I have no appetite, I can’t taste anything. I’m eating 40 pills a day,” Kuhns said.
“From March to September, Kuhns was in the hospital, isolated from friends and family, kept from work at his auto repair shop here in Schaumburg. He said he wants to save people from that same fate or worse.
“I just don’t know why we’re getting rising cases. People should know better by now,” he said . . .
“After seeing everything he went through, I still don’t understand why people are fighting the mask,” said Nancy Kuhns, Brian’s wife. “Actually you’re taking someone else’s life by doing this. What is so hard about wearing a mask?”
“You gotta wear it, boneheads,” Kuhns said. “Do it for the other guy!”
“At the beginning of the year, Kuhns weighed 225 lbs., could walk normally, and had his own lungs. Then, he got COVID-19, lost 76 lbs., needed new lungs, and uses a wheelchair . . . The Kuhns family is now facing $2 million worth of medical bills.”
At least he’s still alive – unlike 10,504 Illinoisans. 10,504.
*
Today, the governor announced another 15,415 cases. Just today.
–
ChicagoReddit
Today I Learned: Jim Oberweis’s record of unsuccessful election campaigns has earned him the nickname of “the Milk Dud” from r/chicago
–
ChicagoGram
View this post on Instagram
–
ChicagoTube
Alfonso Payán Y Asociados – El Chuy De Chicago (Con Tololoche) “Exclusivo”
–
TweetWood
A sampling of the delight and disgust you can find @BeachwoodReport.
‘Only a few of America’s CEOs have made public statements about Donald Trump’s refusal to accept his election loss, but in private, many are alarmed and talking about what collective action would be necessary if they see an imminent threat to democracy.’ https://t.co/H32rjBCKUR
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) November 13, 2020
*
What do you even say about these people at this point https://t.co/0PaIMvC3jp
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) November 13, 2020
*
More than 130 Secret Service officers have recently been ordered to isolate or quarantine because they tested positive for the coronavirus or had close contact with infected co-workers, stemming partly from Trump campaign rallies. @CarolLeonnig @jdawsey1 https://t.co/TGRPItSYSS
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) November 13, 2020
*
A Letter to My Cousins https://t.co/pmyJJzjtDR Coming to terms with family history when your family name is “Daley” – via @SouthSideWeekly
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) November 13, 2020
*
Wow, Josh Marshall has spent 20 years on the Internet searching for a business model that works. https://t.co/kE4HVEnM1f
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) November 13, 2020
–
The Beachwood Anti-Line: Against the line.
Posted on November 13, 2020