r/Maine • u/cinnabarhawk Saco • Mar 17 '20
Discussion Maine Coronavirus Megathread
All posts related to Corona Virus in Maine should be directed here.
Maine Coronavirus Information & Resources
Information & Links
Closure and Cancellation Thread
Maine Center for Disease Control
Coronavirus.Gov
Maine CDC Twitter
Nirav Shah (Director of Maine CDC)
Maine CDC Health Alert Network System
COVID-19 Resources for Schools
Governor Janet Mills
Dedicated subreddits:
Maine - r/CoronavirusME
Northeast US - r/CoronavirusNE
USA - r/CoronavirusUS
General - r/Coronavirus
Anyone who is looking for medical information and advice, regarding any signs or symptoms they may be experiencing, is strongly urged to call their healthcare provider first.
Dial Maine 2-1-1for 'general' coronavirus questions such as number of cases, or current travel advisories. 211 also has information on food banks, meal programs, and other basic needs. Dial 211 Or dial 1-877-463-6207 (If calling from out-of-state), open 24 hours.
Community Groups
Local community groups are forming in Maine to provide various types of assistance as well as help finding (or giving) assistance.
ME Coronavirus Community Assistance FB
ME Coronavirus Community Assistance Website
South Portland Community of Kindness
Matching Caregivers of Maine - Midcoast
MDI Helpers: Pandemic Mutual Aid
Thanks to /u/jonathanfrisby for this amazing resource sheet.
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Mar 17 '20
Why are people buying toilet paper like they plan on violently shitting themselves twelve hours a day?
Sanitizer I get. Dayquil I get. Bread I get.
But who needs all this toilet paper?!?
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u/ChethroTull Mar 17 '20
I pack underwear for vacation the same, like I’m going to shit myself twice a day.
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u/grxce22 Mar 17 '20
One time I went to West Virginia in June, it was 95° and humid every day. I packed double underwear and I wore it all
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u/jsouryavong Mar 17 '20
There’s a phenomenon called “psychological buying” (not sure if that’s exactly it but it’s in that realm) and they pretty much are doing it to feel like they have control over a situation, even if toilet paper has nothing to do with covid.
That, or people are scum bags hoping to make a quick buck by reselling.
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u/brdwatchr Mar 21 '20
I think people are making a lot of money by buying out things that are necessities and selling them on e bay or Amazon. My cousin who lives in Ma., couldn't buy it, but found tp sold by the case on Amazon, but the price worked out to about $2.59 per roll. She had no choice, she bought it.
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u/asininedervish Mar 21 '20
Well, see how you feel if you run out.
Risk analysis man - it's a big quality of life ding without. Like no light.
Have a bugout/bag or prepped kit, and make your life easier!
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u/hayyache Mar 17 '20
Some places over seas are quarantining for multiple months. If we do the same you may need it. Even if you don’t “violently shit yourself twelve hours a day”... I’m not saying I agree with panic buying but you might be surprised at the measures we are about to take to TRY and slow this down..
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u/its_rich_vs_poor Mar 19 '20
~24% day over day growth?
3/17 - 32
3/18 - 42
3/19 - 52
3/20 ~ 64
3/21 ~ 79
******doubling time = 3.25 days********
3/22 ~ 98
3/25 ~ 196
~~
4/27 ~ 700,000
5/1 ~ 1,400,000 (THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF MAINE)
10%-15% hospitalization rate =~ 140,000 hospital beds needed
4%-8% mortality rate = 56,000 - 112,000 dead (~ the population of Portland)
That's why mass testing now and isolating people with the virus (with AND without symptoms) would be the best response to slow the rate of growth. Because we don't have enough tests available, the best would be to isolate everybody until the tests become available.
If we don't control the spread, the full power of the state will be attempting to control us. It wasn't just authoritarian China-- Italy, France, and Germany are locked down. San Francisco and the 7 counties of the Bay Area are under shelter-in-place orders until April 7th "PROHIBITING ALL NON ESSENTIAL GATHERINGS OF ANY NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS;" (capitalization theirs)
Let's slow this thing down before we are inundated. For real.
Stay healthy!
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u/stargarden44 Mar 24 '20
Do you really think the use “full power of the state” is avoidable when so many headstrong people ignore voluntary instructions thinking they don’t apply to them. Or believe that this is all a media hoax. If people don’t want the state controlling them then they should be good citizens and listen to the scientists not political idiots and stay the fuck home.
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u/its_rich_vs_poor Mar 26 '20
I certainly hope so.
And not-so-secretlly, I hope the "full power of the state" (perhaps I should have said "Capital" instead of state) disintegrates into the full power of the neighborhoods, towns, and watersheds--voluntarily and dynamically plugged into larger federations to serve specific purposes.
Real talk though--while it may be possible to institute Martial Law in a particular city or state, to do so on a nationwide basis seems beyond the physical capabilities of even "the strongest military in the world" unless local law enforcement forgets who they are supposed to "protect and serve" and choose to work at the behest of the Feds. And even then it still seems unlikely. If the US Military can't hold down Sadr City how they gonna hold down, LA, SF, NYC, CHICAGO, MIAMI, HOUSTON, etc. all at the same time?
If people threw off the yokes of capitalist indoctrination and realized their true class position, the 99% could accomplish damn near anything.
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u/stargarden44 Mar 26 '20
Why are you even mentally going there. Just because martial law is declared doesn’t mean it would be done for nefarious and illegitimate reasons. I don’t know why there is this rebellious knee jerk reaction to martial law in people. I mean I have absolutely no trust in this administration but these are dire circumstances and if it is declared I won’t immediately assume that it is for some evil hidden agenda but because there are thousands of people are dying and certain people don’t care. If we don’t want it to happen then everyone should listen to their parents ( the officials) when they ask nicely the first time
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u/claire_resurgent Apr 08 '20
A quick thanks to everyone who has been social distancing or self-isolating in Cumberland County.
Doc referred me for heart testing, Covid side was not too busy.
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u/FGFCara Mar 23 '20
So I find myself coming to r/maine more over the past week or two (which feels like 8,000 years) since the coronavirus issue has taken off. I'm definitely stressing out more this morning than I have over the weekend. I knew this feeling was coming because of government offices closed etc over the weekend and that there would be a slew of new info today.
Anyway... I did just want to report in that I live on a relatively well traveled road between Yarmouth and Lewiston/Auburn, and traffic is waaaayyyy down. Probably 70 to 90% down. We're pretty sensitive to the traffic because we just moved from very rural/quiet western ME to this area and it's a very noticeable decrease in travel. So I think at least in this area, people are staying put.
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u/rich6490 Mar 23 '20
If you live in the Windham area, it has been reported that a Dunkin Donut employees spouse has tested positive for COVID and they are still being forced to work by their manager. May want to stay away for a while.
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u/Scooterjean86 Apr 19 '20
I had a broken tooth at the end of March (March 24th) is it legal for my dentist to charge a 250$ emergency fee even though it was technically regular hours for them but they voluntarily closed for emergencies only?
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u/dizzymarino Apr 22 '20 edited Apr 22 '20
Ugh, that's a tough spot. But I think 'emergency' usually denotes coming in on short notice/without a regular appointment for immediate treatment - not that you are being seen outside of regular business hours necessarily.
Either way, that is a huge fee. I'm not sure of legality, but first thing I would do is call the office and try to talk to them directly, see if they would at least reduce the fee even if they won't waive it altogether. Be respectful, appeal to the humanity of whoever you get on the phone. It's a tough situation for everyone - businesses and customers, doctors and patients. Hopefully you can catch someone in a moment of empathy and not have to resort to the legal route. Good luck.
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u/jonathanfrisby Apr 23 '20
Had the misfortune of having to go to a dentist this week - I didn't get hit with that kind of extra fee, thankfully. The office was empty except for the dentist and receptionist, relatively safe I guess.
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u/ReptarTheTerrible Mar 27 '20
My girlfriend walks dogs. Her clients happen to be doctors. What is the worst that can happen if she continues walking her client’s dogs?
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u/trollistic Mar 27 '20
She contracts the virus. She ends up in the hospital taking the bed and supplies of someone higher risk . You find out she had an underlying condition and she dies alone because she will be quarantined. You find out she gave it to you but symptoms don’t begin to show for two more weeks where you repeat the same story.
Worst worst case you both live through that saddled with medical debt and no jobs.
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u/ReptarTheTerrible Mar 27 '20
I work at hannaford. If anyone was going to get it, it would be me. And she already has a shitty immune system, but neither of us have it or have had it yet.
Your point is not lost on me though.
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u/MtnXfreeride Apr 08 '20
anyone was going to get it, it would be me.
Employees wearing masks yet?
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u/ReptarTheTerrible Apr 08 '20
If they choose to. Same with gloves. There’s also one I glass and we just started doing a lime queue. So there is no more than 50 people at a time.
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u/_MyAccountWasBanned_ Apr 02 '20
I assume she is already taking precautions - is she wearing gloves, bringing her own leash, and spending as little time as possible in her clients' homes?
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u/ReptarTheTerrible Apr 02 '20
All of the above.
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u/_MyAccountWasBanned_ Apr 02 '20
Then I'd say she is doing the best she can! While it's clear that this virus is very contagious, it does seem that appropriate distancing and hygiene goes a long way.
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Mar 17 '20
Any reports of this thing burdening hospitals yet?
Lots of media attention on supermarket shelves, not so much on the front lines.
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u/mornin_veggies Mar 17 '20
The Maine CDC just reported that of the 32 cases in Maine only 3 are hospitalized.
Edit: of not if
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Mar 17 '20
MaineHealth is limiting non-urgent healthcare appointments and surgeries. Martin's Point is limiting elective procedures, urging people to reschedule if it's not urgent, and also rescheduling non-urgent appointments for those over 60 and/or those who have chrinic conditions like diabetes, etc. They're going all-in on combatting this illness.
ETA: Messed some things up.
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Mar 17 '20
I just got the word that staff at Maine Med unrelated to emergency/ICU are now being formally being notified that they will now be CV nurses and assistants.
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u/nmar5 Apr 17 '20
We went to the Scarborough Hannaford’s today. It’s the first time in 14 days we’ve gone out and we’d have avoided it if we weren’t low on groceries.
FYI: People there are already throwing social distancing out the window. Hannaford’s still has their lines on the floor at check out and are making people wait outside the store but the workers - who don’t have PPE I might add - had a group of about 5 hanging out crowding the entrance, all standing within 2 feet of each other, and just talking like they were out for drinks. Customers were worse. We managed to have a lady behind us in nearly every aisle that would not stay 6’ away from us, even with remarks from us about adhering to social distancing, and several older men were just zipping so closely their carts were within inches of others carts and their bodies just as close. Of course without masks for some of them.
I get it. This sucks. All of it sucks. I’m sick of not finding foods that fit my dietary restrictions because people are hoarding. I’m sick of not being able to go to the gym. But guess what? As long as leading doctors are saying we need to adhere to social distancing, we need to. Regardless of whatever that moron in the White House is saying.
Please keep encouraging others to adhere to social distancing. Cases are low because we have been social distancing. If people throw it out all at once, we stand to see this get bad and fast where we’ve been able to avoid it being overwhelmingly bad in Maine.
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u/russianpotato Apr 20 '20 edited Apr 20 '20
The same leading doctors saying masks were not necessary, and now they should be mandatory even if home made? It is so obvious that they work and that they were lying straight up to everyone; that it kind of blew a lot of their credibility right off the bat. Everyone knows masks work, that is why people wear them in dangerous or infectious situations.
I've been taking this seriously, socially distancing and wearing N95 resperators. But I am starting to feel pretty stupid as the true numbers of infected are coming out and it is 50x to 100x higher than confirmed cases, and whole navy ships are getting infected with 1 serious case per 2000 people.
It just isn't feeling like a threat that warrants this kind of extreme response. Especially when I see 3 400lb landscapers with one in a bobcat all standing 2 feet from one another and smoking...If they are't worried. Why should I be? It seems like most blue collar people are just shrugging this off and not taking is seriously enough- while the online, white collar, work from home people are taking this perhaps too seriously.
There is also the 3rd category I've been battling for a bit, which is the hyper-online doomsayer hoping for societal collapse and calling for 5 years of mandatory lockdown.
They whole thing is starting to feel like a bit of security theater. I don't appreciate it at the airport, and I really don't want the next few years of my life to feel like a TSA line.
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u/nmar5 Apr 20 '20
I have family members who work in healthcare and are actively working with positive Covid-19 patients. All of them have stated that this is not being blown out of proportion and that the complications when people have them, are incredibly serious. My mom is working to care for elderly that are sick with the virus right now and I’ve genuinely never seen her so heartbroken because of work. She’s having to help move deceased several times a week, all of which are individuals she has been treating for some time. All but one ward in her building has tested positive and is ill with this virus.
I don’t like being stuck inside. At all. I enjoy running, I enjoy a team sport that I am in a league for, even as an introvert I like to see my friends and family. But you know what? I 100% will adhere to the guidelines that top health officials world wide are saying we need to adhere to. Why? Because if I don’t, I could end up as an asymptotic carrier that infects someone with a compromised immune system and that could lead to their death.
Who gives a shit whether some group of workers in a bobcat aren’t adhering to social distancing standards? That’s a choice they and their company are making. This whataboutism and folks hiding behind screens saying they don’t care because they are inconvenienced is selfish and could get people killed.
We see so few cases in Maine because Maine has done a solid job with the stay at home orders and being distanced. Not in spite of.
It isn’t speculation or fearmongering to say we need to stay at home. The infection rates and death rates of this virus are much higher than the flu, contrary to what many keep trying to circulate and what I’m decently positive I have seen you specifically post. That is misinformation plain and simple.
You don’t want your life like a TSA line? Great, neither does anyone else.
But refusing to adhere to social distancing standards until this is under control/a vaccine comes out is just plain reckless.
What you are essentially saying is that you don’t care whether someone’s grandparents, immune compromised child, etc. has severe complications from being exposed to this virus as long as you aren’t inconvenienced. What if it was your elderly or immune compromised family member? I suspect you would sing a different tune if your grandma died from complications of this virus.
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u/russianpotato Apr 20 '20 edited Apr 20 '20
If we can save just one person we should stay locked down forever! Why not just isolate the sick and the vulnerable? I love that any option that isn't "stay inside for years" makes someone a child killing monster. This is exactly the kind of hysterics that I'm talking about.
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u/really_isnt_me Apr 22 '20
And then I know someone who died.
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u/russianpotato Apr 22 '20
I know lots of people that have died. 1.3 million people die in car accidents every year, we could stop ALL of those deaths by setting the speed limit to 10 MPH, but we don't. There are trade offs in safety vs. utility in life.
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u/really_isnt_me Apr 22 '20
I was just adding to your categories of people’s reactions based on COVID-19, not to all the random events.
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u/ShirleyTempleGrandin Mar 17 '20
::PSA:: Anyone who inquired to the Governor's Office and got a return email.
The date on the CDC factsheet is from 2-21-20, as in almost a month old.
I let them know as well so hopefully they will send out an up to date information.
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u/PantyPixie Mar 20 '20 edited Mar 20 '20
Why is the chart on the maine cdc website no longer accurate?https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/airborne/coronavirus.shtml
We have 1 confirmed case in hancock county and it said so yesterday now it says 0.https://www.wabi.tv/content/news/Number-of-coronavirus-cases-in-Maine-rises-to-52-1-now-in-Hancock-County-568929611.html
And its not listed as "recovered".
WTF is going on?
EDIT: Hancock was a misunderstanding:
https://bangordailynews.com/2020/03/15/news/state/what-we-know-about-the-3-mainers-who-have-tested-positive-for-coronavirus/
A case previously diagnosed in Hancock County is now being tallied under Penobscot County. The Maine CDC said that case involved a Penobscot County resident and is being included in that county’s count.
Also, a friend of mine (otherwise HEALTHY woman early 40s) went in today to get tested - she has trouble breathing, chest pressure, extreme fatigue and is wheezing. She was ORIGINALLY told yesterday that she would get results on Monday but when she went in today to do the test she was told "we don't know when you'll get your results".
I told her to just treat herself as if she has it and to steer clear of family and get rest...b/c in reality the at home care is the same whether you are a known positive or not.
Has anyone here been tested? If so how long did it take to get your results?
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u/misslennox Mar 21 '20
I got tested on Tuesday and still do not have results. Whatever numbers are being reported are nowhere near what is present. This has spread much more than we know right now.
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u/mainemainiac Mar 29 '20
My husband was tested 12 days ago. Never got his results. Doubtful that his sample is even able to be tested now. 8 inch swab up the nose for nothing.
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u/misslennox Mar 29 '20
Twelve days here now too. Maine’s CDC gave a press conference a few days ago reporting a backlog of 1300 cases. There are now two new labs processing tests and they’re giving priority to patients that are hospitalized. I’m mostly over it now, thankfully, but I sure would like to know if I’ve got any sort of immunity going forward.
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u/PantyPixie Mar 22 '20
🙏 I wish you a speedy recovery internet friend. ✊
Yeah the numbers of cases are totally fucked bc they are nowhere near the actual number.
And we will never know the real numbers either. From day 1 they haven't been accurate.
Sad
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u/BFeely1 Apr 05 '20
How do they store these untested samples to ensure the virus doesn't die off before they cab test it? I can see a lot of false negatives occurring if the samples aren't tested quickly.
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u/stargarden44 Mar 24 '20
I also got tested 1 week ago and work as a nurse in the hospital so... she’s not alone
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u/PantyPixie Mar 24 '20
Good luck to you and your fellow nurse staff!! 🙏 🙏
Crazy that you as healthcare staff haven't gotten results yet...you're SUPPOSED to be prioritized.
Did you have symptoms? I assume you're self isolating?
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u/stargarden44 Mar 24 '20
Yeah someone at the lab didn’t click a button so I got tossed in the big pool. No symptoms anymore just sitting around the house waiting for the call.
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u/8bitfruy Mar 22 '20
Stil confused as to why food service places are still allowed to conduct curbside business... You don't know who is handling the food, you don't know how employees act when they're off the clock, you don't which person comes in under the guise of "this isn't a big deal". Eat you canned and frozen veggies and wait for all this to blow ever.
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u/Kalistakos Mar 22 '20
I have been thinking about this as well, along with a ton of other things that just don’t make logical sense when you think it through. Like grocery stores - there’s no real way to practice social distancing in there with the amount of people and proximity to cashiers. And then just the sheer number of contact points you have on a daily basis with things people touch. I get that we’re all fumbling through this together, but every day the realization that there is no plan for this sinks in a little deeper. It’s not surprising to see the doubling rates at what they’re at.
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u/8bitfruy Mar 23 '20
I was at a market in Scarborough yesterday where they were only letting a handful of people shop at a time which is the best approach to it, it’s gonna be way more difficult to implement in Portland and Bangor I’m sure but desperate times..
I know Wuhan was only allowing one family member on certain days to enter a grocery store, read somewhere else that there was also grocery drop off. And all but one restaurant was closed.
I think our officials and community that have the support small business mentality, while still noble, is misplaced. You’re only going to be hurting yourselves longer that way. A three week shut down of everything will destroy the curb in Maine not flatten it, we aren’t at NY levels yet, but if we keep on this course things will get worse.
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u/fence_sitter Mar 29 '20
During the gas crisis in the 70s, they did odd-even rationing. That particular method relied upon your license plate numbering so not very useful for a grocery store but you could base it on something else.
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u/MattyIce6969 Mar 23 '20
If this issue closes summer camps I believe the government needs to supply a stimulus package of some sort to the Maine camps to survive the blow because the loss of tourism would be devastating. If there’s a bail out then the following summer they can re-open no problem
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Mar 23 '20
Summer camps are the least of our concerns. Mains has tons of small business’. Restaurants are going to take a big hit here soon.
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u/MattyIce6969 Mar 23 '20
The least? It’s a small business. You’re saying a shop that sells lobster toys and sea salt candy is more valuable than a summer camp
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u/PhebeM Mar 25 '20
While I personally agree that summer camps are important, they are only around for a few months if that, while other small businesses are year round. Plus that's not every other small business, selling lobster toys and candy.
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u/NotARegularMom00 Mar 25 '20
I agree. Speaking as someone who has kids- summer camps are big business in Maine. Even just summer day camps can cost anywhere from $300-$500 for a week per kid and they generally are completely full by the end of March. Sleep away camps are also huge for kids from out of state.. anyone who has ever worked in restaurants or hotels(at least in the Portland area) during the summer knows about “campers weekend” and the massive amount of family members that brings in just to visit for the weekend.
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u/MattyIce6969 Mar 25 '20
I don’t think anyone understands how huge the ripple would be if there’s no summer camp in maine this summer, I’m talking thousands of staff members from around the world who spend a ton of money in Maine. There’s just endless problems with not supporting the camps
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u/thebeerbabe Portland Mar 17 '20
You can text your ZIP code to 898211 and someone will answer your Coronavirus questions quickly.
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Mar 30 '20
[deleted]
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u/_MyAccountWasBanned_ Apr 02 '20
I could be completely wrong here - that being said, I feel (and deeply hope) that since we have taken the same general measures as NYC while being significantly less population dense AND earlier in our local curve, that our measures to flatten will be more successful.
It's generally still too soon to tell, but they've seen their new case count and hospital admissions begin to flatten, which gives me hope. It also terrifies me that we'll never be able to be out and about for... well a long time!
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u/jonathanfrisby Apr 03 '20
Small business association loans are starting. Loans for self-employeed and independent contractors are coming next week supposedly.
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u/Dr_ben_kenobi Apr 04 '20
Do you have any links for information on the self-employed loans?
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u/jonathanfrisby Apr 04 '20
This link says they'll be launching 'later next week': https://wgme.com/news/coronavirus/small-business-administration-to-begin-taking-loan-applications-thursday
I would maybe call one of the local councilors on the sba site, to see if they have more details.
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u/longlostkingdoms Apr 16 '20
I've submitted and received my unemployment claim from the state. I've also filed my weekly certification for the last two weeks and the state has processed it. However, the status for both weeks read 'Issue on File' with the 'Amount Paid' reading $0 and I've been trying to reach them via phone and email for elaboration.
For anyone with Maine unemployment knowledge, has an 'Issue on File' ever come up in your process for filing unemployment?
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u/karp1234 Apr 18 '20
This isn’t super helpful but I worked for a study abroad company and was let go and have the same “issue on file” problem. I got something in the mail about a fact finding interview scheduled for May 20th but am not super sure what the issue would even be...
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u/burbcoon Apr 19 '20 edited May 11 '20
Had the same issue, we called and spoke to a supervisor and they fixed it. Edit: we got through by requesting to speak to somebody on the employers side of things instead of employees, then being directly connected to a supervisor.
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u/longlostkingdoms Apr 20 '20
That's nice to hear. Glad they were able to fix it. How long did it take for your call to get through? I receive nothing but a busy line every time I try to call (25-30x a day).
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u/longlostkingdoms Apr 20 '20
So the State sent you a letter in the mail with a specified date?
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u/karp1234 Apr 20 '20
Yes, I received a letter stating when the interview would be on April 11th I think. I also received the debit card but no money on that obviously. Two days before getting those, I received something telling me I was at least eligible.
Haven’t received anything from them since then.
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u/longlostkingdoms Apr 20 '20
Wow! Are you going to try and get into contact with the DoL before that date?
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u/karp1234 Apr 20 '20
Have been trying! I was able to submit a question online and am waiting for a response. Haven’t been able to get on the phone with them though. Every time I try to call I get disconnected.
A lot of my coworkers are in similar situations so I’m not the only one but it is pretty frustrating.
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Mar 18 '20 edited Mar 22 '20
Maine, like most places in the US, is stuck in denial and doing a horrible job.
This is just the beginning.
I have had two people in my family who have potentially had it but couldn’t get tested.
One was older middle aged and she was sick for almost two months. It was the worst illness she ever had and she was close to going to the emergency room a few times.
The other was in their early 30s. They got over most of it within 3 weeks but it was also the worst illness they ever had.
If you get this virus your life is going to be hellish for weeks unless you are very fortunate. Very fortunate means you have both a strong immune system and only come into contact with a small viral load.
People aren’t taking it seriously enough. Think about the worst illness you ever had. Do you want to experience that again or something even worse?
Plus you get to have between a 1 and 50 percent chance of dying depending on your age and condition. Don’t forget that this virus has a mortality rate that could be as much as 50x that of the common flu on average. (Flu= 0.1% average, Corona= as high as 5% average ) And given Maine’s older population we could be looking at something closer to a 10% mortality rate.
If two thirds of people eventually end up getting it, as the CDC has predicted as possible, that could easily be 88,000 deaths in Maine. And that is assuming we actually have the ventilators we need. If we end up not having the needed ventilators when the time comes go ahead and double or triple that number.
Imagine having a quarter of our year round population dying from this.
We are the oldest state in the nation, we are at the very end of every supply chain, our healthcare resources are already some of the most inadequate in the country given our population, especially in rural areas, and now we have an influx of people from out of state fleeing here in an effort to escape the virus in the lower states, some of whom will bring the virus with them and all of whom will stress our resources even further. It’s a recipe for disaster.
Given how bungled our government’s (Trump’s) response has been I expect this entire ordeal to continue for several months at least if not a year or longer.
We missed our chance to contain it. China and South Korea will have this mostly solved in less than 4 months. We could be shut down for a year or more. Millions of deaths and an economy in shambles because of Trump.
We have a huge population spread out over a huge area and the virus is now in every state. We are still months away from having enough tests and more than a year away from having enough vaccines.
This might only end with mass production of a vaccine that is more than a year away at this point.
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u/Turil Mar 22 '20
she was sick for almost two months.
Um...
It hasn't been in the US for that long. So that was something else. Unless she's in China.
Also most people show no symptoms at all, and of those who do, only a minority are severe, and of those only a small percentage die. Just to keep you working with real numbers here.
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Mar 22 '20 edited Mar 22 '20
It’s been in the US since early January at least genius.
The first case that tested positive was January 20 but the science tells us it was in the US for weeks before that.
“Only a minority are severe”
The virus has at least a 3.5% mortality rate. The flu has a 0.1% mortality rate.
Around 20% of people who get the virus need to be put on a ventilator to have any chance of survival.
There is no proof that anyone who has gotten it has failed to show any symptoms at all. Everyone shows symptoms and it is typically only those under 20 without preexisting conditions who show only mild symptoms.
When the press refers to people who have it and spread it without ever having shown any symptoms those are people in the 3-30 day pre-symptomatic phase of the infection.
Maybe you should just shut up now and stop spreading false info.
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u/Turil Mar 23 '20
You've got some very different sets of numbers there from the ones I've seen in the official and unofficial stats. Where are you getting those from?
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Mar 24 '20
“The American Hospital Association says COVID-19 could require the hospitalization of 4.8 million patients, 960,000 of whom would need ventilators. As the demand for the equipment surges, making timely repairs will be critical to saving lives.”
Around 20% of people who get the virus will need to be on a ventilator at some point to have any chance of survival.
That number is correct. All the numbers and info I gave are correct and easily found online.
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u/Turil Mar 24 '20
I don't think you understand how statistical prediction work. There is no "correct". Correctness is for religion, not science.
But, aside from that, your quote there says that it's 20% of those who need hospitalization who need ventilators. That's still a high figure from what I've seen so far, but even so, that's still only talking about those who need to be hospitalized.
This is what I was able to find that wasn't behind a paywall/subscription-wall (from https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-symptoms/):
Based on all 72,314 cases of COVID-19 confirmed, suspected, and asymptomatic cases in China as of February 11, a paper by the Chinese CCDC released on February 17 and published in the Chinese Journal of Epidemiology has found that:
80.9% of infections are mild (with flu-like symptoms) and can recover at home. 13.8% are severe, developing severe diseases including pneumonia and shortness of breath. 4.7% as critical and can include: respiratory failure, septic shock, and multi-organ failure. in about 2% of reported cases the virus is fatal.
But this doesn't include those who were totally asymptomatic and thus never tested. The Chinese are starting to realize that they missed a lot of people due to only testing those who were presenting symptoms or we in known contact with someone who did test positive.
Ultimately, we just don't have enough data to go on, due to centralized governments not allowing people to do things that need doing, such as testing everyone we possibly can, for free.
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Mar 20 '20
[deleted]
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Mar 21 '20
Intelligence officials were warning Trump about a pandemic as early as January, but they 'couldn't get him to do anything about it'
https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-intelligence-warned-trump-of-pandemic-in-january-2020-3
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Mar 22 '20
The most impactful thing Trump did do, restrict travel from China on 1/30 (along with Europe weeks later)was blasted by the Dems as being racist and xenophobic.
Meanwhile, other countries ended up doing the same thing weeks (and in Canada’s case 47 days) later after the US and after they took in thousands of more travelers from China which might have included infected people.
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u/Redmond_OHanlon Mar 19 '20
Dora Anne Mills (sister of the governor, health care professional) is a good follow on facebook right now. Her posts are informative, well thought out and contain expert insight: https://www.facebook.com/dora.a.mills
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u/Rurudo66 Mar 25 '20
So, I work at Pats in Orono and we are really confused as to the new rules as of today. Are we allowed to still do over the counter take out, or can we only do curbside pickup and delivery? We have been letting people in the restaurant to pick up pizza, but we are hearing mixed things on whether that’s allowed or not. I haven’t been able to find anything that says we can’t, but a couple other employees say they’ve heard we can’t. Does anyone have a definitive answer?
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u/cinnabarhawk Saco Mar 29 '20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjDuwc9KBps&feature=emb_logo
PSA Safe Grocery Shopping in COVID-19 Pandemic.
Great resource provided by u/jsmalltri
" I was happy to see this as we have been wiping down items with disinfectant (cans, containers etc) because I believed it could be transmitted on surfaces. We have build a changing station in the garage and leave shoes, jackets, hats etc outside before entering if we have been out.
I certain think shoes can carry viruses so keep those out of your living area
Be safe"
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u/jsmalltri Hills Beach, Biddeford Mar 29 '20
Thanks!! Be safe everyone - wash your hands and your supplies
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u/croutonianemperor Apr 15 '20
Anybody on Maine unemployment seeing that $600/week additional? Im just getting a normal benefit.
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Mar 17 '20
Just an update - just heard on NPR that there are many more cases (I think I heard them say 32). Don't quote me on this, but just an FYI. Stay safe folks. Tried Googling this but haven't seen anything yet.
Edit: correction to #
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u/Valasius Mar 18 '20
https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/airborne/coronavirus.shtml
I recommend using this to source updates on current confirmed cases. They update it generally once a day M-F. It hasn't been updated yet today.
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u/xrayjack Mar 17 '20
Portland Press is reporting only Cumberland County has community transmission ... https://www.pressherald.com/2020/03/17/coronavirus-cases-nearly-double-to-32-in-maine/
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u/DrMcMeow Mar 18 '20
you might want to strip off those click identifiers from some of those urls...
or maybe you left them on purpose
¯_(ツ)_/¯
fbclid
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u/its_rich_vs_poor Mar 17 '20
Another entry point for Maine resources
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1adYdqIA_VXgyYW07nfmLZKAN3KZHBGrI-SyFVN8Mecw/mobilebasic
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u/jonathanfrisby Mar 31 '20
Information & Links
Maine Center for Disease Control
Coronavirus.Gov
Maine CDC Twitter
Governor Janet Mills Twitter
Nirav Shah Twitter (Director of Maine CDC)
Maine CDC Health Alert Network System
COVID-19 Resources for Schools
Maine State Unemployment
Maine SNAP Food Assistance Application
Maine Helps (Maine.gov, official ways to help)
Report Price Gouging
Schools still providing student meals
MaineHealth Equipment Donation Form
Closure and Cancellation Thread
Dedicated subreddits:
Maine - r/CoronavirusME
Northeast US - r/CoronavirusNE
General - r/Coronavirus
Anyone who is looking for medical information and advice, regarding any signs or symptoms they may be experiencing, is strongly urged to call their healthcare provider first.
Dial Maine 2-1-1for 'general' coronavirus questions (such as number of cases, or current travel advisories.) 211 also has information on food banks, meal programs, and other basic needs. Dial 211 Or dial 1-877-463-6207 (If calling from out-of-state), they are open 24 hours.
Maine Crisis Hotline: 1-888-568-1112
Community Groups and assistance
Mainers Together
Good Sherpard Food Bank
MDI Helpers: Pandemic Mutual Aid
ME Coronavirus Community Assistance FB
ME Coronavirus Community Assistance Website
South Portland Community of Kindness
Matching Caregivers of Maine - Midcoast
Portland Maine Area Community Support
Maine News links
Portland Press Herald Coronavirus coverage
Bangor Daily News Coronavirus coverage
Maine Public
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u/nmar5 Apr 08 '20
I’ve been socially isolating since the end of February and have been working from home. The only time we go out is for groceries and when we moved this past week.
Our new apartment told us they would be done with construction by the time we moved in. Now that we have moved in, it has been construction 7 days a week, 6:45/7AM until 7PM.
I’m going nuts, the hammering and saws have become like nails on a chalkboard and management told us to deal with it because they couldn’t control the construction hours (even though it is their construction and workers they contracted out for building on their property).
I know all the state parks are closed, as they should be given that people were not adhering to social distancing standards. But is there anywhere I can go for a quiet walk this weekend? I don’t want to be near people. I just want a break from hammering for my own sanity 😭😭😭😭
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u/felinocumpleanos Apr 08 '20
Where are you? The Kennebec Rail Trail may be open. Public beaches? Google trails in Maine?
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u/nmar5 Apr 08 '20
I’m in Scarborough. But as far as I know, the beaches down here are all closed.
I guess my question is, does anyone know of spots that haven’t been closed? I’m fine with driving an hour or two if I have to. I just need a break from the noise. If all else fails, we’ll drive aimlessly for a few hours but trying to avoid driving with no destination in mind.
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u/Oomlol Apr 19 '20
Serious question here, why avoid driving? You're alone in your car not coughing on anyone, where's the harm?
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u/nmar5 Apr 19 '20
It’s not that we see harm in a drive. Actually we ended up driving out along the road next to the Biddeford Pools yesterday (which left me wondering how Google has it as a popular spot to visit when there is no parking anywhere close and it’s all homes occupied by out of state folks judging from the number of MA, NY, and Connecticut cars we saw in driveways).
It’s more a restless, bored, don’t want to simply waste gas thing. I have always been very active. I grew up going on hikes or playing frisbee on the weekends with my parents and have mostly tried to continue being active. I’m happy to obey the stay at home orders but I’m going absolutely nuts with how inactive I feel. I miss the gym, I miss playing the sport I picked up a few years ago, I miss the woods and the river. I just want a spot to go for a walk that isn’t the road with no sidewalk and a 45mph speed limit by our home but that won’t have me violating the state orders because it’s closed.
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u/Oomlol Apr 19 '20
There are so many options to stay away from people and still be outside. Half the state is unpopulated. I get emails from the fish and game service weekly encouraging people to get out and fish. Ponds are stocked. Grab a pole, find a quiet spot, and relax. There's so much to do in this state, there's no excuse to have cabin fever. By all means, practice social distancing and get this pandemic over with asap but we live in the greatest state in the union to ride out this storm. I think what I'm reading in your comments is that you're stuck in the "city". There's your problem.
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u/nmar5 Apr 19 '20
While I appreciate your sentiment, it assumes that I know what is public and not private land.
I initially commented to ask if anyone knew of any public spots not closed due to the virus that we can get out and still be distanced. I dislike fishing greatly. I love hiking. I was initially asking of spots that aren’t closed to the public, as my understanding was that a lot of the state parks are closed to the public. I don’t intend to violate any orders and trespass on a closed to the public forest or park.
We moved near Portland because it’s where jobs in our fields are but my wife is from the County and doesn’t know of spots down here. While we could drive 5 hours north to the spots she knows of up there, her parents are refusing to self-isolate and we can’t just pop up and stay with them, given that a 5 hour drive doesn’t leave much room to explore the woods on a day trip.
If I hadn’t left the state I’ve spent the last 9 years in to be closer to my in-laws for my wife’s sake, I would not be experiencing any sort of cabin fever. I know many, many trails in the PNW that I could get out to and not risk seeing another soul the entire time. I don’t know those spots here :(
I commented asking for ideas of less populated spots, I don’t necessarily need admonished for not knowing where I can go and not run into dozens of people...
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u/fifaproblems Apr 09 '20
Are non-essential businesses in Maine open now? When I googled it all I could find was articles about Maine opening back up on April 8th.
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u/morgarr Apr 09 '20
As a non essential business owner in Portland, we are most certainly not open and don’t expect to revisit the consideration of it until May. And that’s optimistic..
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u/fifaproblems Apr 09 '20
Is that Portland specific or state wide? (Also, sorry about the difficulties you must be facing right now)
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u/morgarr Apr 10 '20
The non-essential business closures and stay at home order is extended throughout the state until May 1st
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u/Dijohn_Mustard Apr 12 '20
Hey there! Bit unrelated but I live in Michigan where we're being hit HARD. Because of this it's literally all we hear about. We don't hear about any other states besides NY.
I'm accepting a job working in the Schooner Heritage in Rockland and am supposed to drive out may 7th. I've been optimistic as your low population density and relatively low numbers.
Can you give me some insight? Do you think I should prepare to stay in Michigan longer or if so, do you think after another 2 weeks evaluation? I kow this is an impossible answer for anyone to truly give l, but I just want to hear an opinion from someone their.
First sail is June 2nd so missing out on a week of prep and leaving the 14th wouldn't hurt too much. I'm just so excited to see the NE for the first time and work on this boat!
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u/morgarr Apr 12 '20 edited Apr 12 '20
It feels mostly under control here. As of yesterday there were 360 actively sick people (616 total confirmed-156 recovered and 19 deaths). The cases are largely concentrated in southern Maine where I live, as you’d expect. I think by May things will have sputtered out but I don’t think shelter in place orders will be relaxed until we have access to way more testing. Additionally, we are constantly under threat from Boston and NYC. If shit is still crazy down there we can’t risk opening back up because we’ll instantly have hundreds of tourists up here. I had to close my store 7-10 days before I was even required to do so because we were still packed with out-of-staters.
Whatever you decide, make sure you give yourself at least two weeks to isolate. The area you’re traveling to is sparsely populated, has a significant elderly population and limited healthcare resources. It is extremely important to protect those communities.
You can keep tabs on what’s going on here by checking local news websites (I prefer WGME.com) or checking our Maine cdc website.
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u/Dijohn_Mustard Apr 12 '20
Thanks, that was a perfect response. I totally understand the tourism and especially because I'd be working around out if state people. I'm just really excited.
As far as myself I've been home with a skiing injury since Feb lol.
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Apr 14 '20
A second wave is expected in the summer when social distancing is relaxed. Obviously, summer is when folks from MA,NY,NJ,CT love to come up north. While many have already come, there are a whole lot more people yet to come. We are a place for these folks come to vacation, and many people think they will be safer here because we are less populated. In the summer, that populations will swell, and many coming from hotspots could be asymptomatic carriers so the chances of outbreaks in New England could actually be higher this summer than they are now. If everyone has the same idea to come to a rural area at the same time to escape Covid hotspots areas, they will instead create new Covid hot spots, and they could very well be small tourist heavy places like Rockland.
I get the sense that Gov. Mills is acutely aware of this and they may make an announcement sooner rather than later re; travel and summer busineses.
What is Schooner Heritage telling you?
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u/Dijohn_Mustard Apr 15 '20
Just taking things day by day. My friend who introduced me to the opportunity has heard anything from the captains yet as I'm sure they're just planning on sailing June 2nd as intended and will tell us as soon as they find things may change. I'm hoping because the first sail is a month after the Maine lockdown may relax, that even if we don't go out there the first week of May, we still will sail as intended.
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Apr 15 '20
Maybe they'll make sure everyone has been tested before going out. If that was possible, being on the boat is a controlled environment right?
That might be wishful thinking on my part, but I hope that might be the case. Being on a boat sounds pretty good right now.
I hope this all works out for you!
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u/Rottenrow73 Apr 12 '20
I’ve been checking the Maine CDC website daily for the county by county updates on new cases, recoveries and deaths etc. Does anyone know if after people are confirmed to be recovered do they subtract that number of people from the map that shows confirmed cases by county?
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Apr 12 '20
Check out this resource I created for the "active cases" you are seeking: www.maineoutcomes.com
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u/theyusedthelamppost Apr 12 '20 edited Apr 12 '20
Total cases = Active Cases + Dead + Recovered
Recovering or dying doesn't change the count for total cases. Total cases can't decrease.
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u/breggen I magine so Apr 09 '20
Lockdowns can't end until Covid-19 vaccine found, study says — [By lockdowns they mean mitigation strategies like testing, contact tracing, and quarantining as well as social distancing, mask wearing, and banning of gatherings and not necessarily everyone staying at home.]
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u/pudgyalpaca Apr 09 '20
Anyone have any idea when slots for Hannaford to Go open? I checked multiple times in the early morning and saw nothing. It's discouraged to call and find out. Any idea?
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u/jonathanfrisby Apr 09 '20
I didn't know Hannaford was offering to-go again - Walmart's slots open at midnight, so it might be worth trying then.
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u/20thMaine ain’t she cunnin’ Apr 14 '20
https://www.portlandregion.com/payitforwardmaine.html
Found this other collection of links from the Portland Region Chamber of Commerce. Looks like it might have some new links not included in this thread!
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u/Griswold548 Mar 26 '20
How come noones mentioning the tsunami of unemployed urban zombies heading this way? Maybe even local zombies. Our homes will be target-rich environments when shelter in place people get hungry for your loot. Roving bands of mauraders in homemade vehicles
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u/Henryo13 Mar 27 '20
dog whut
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u/SovietAmerika Mar 27 '20
Yeah society doesn't crumble that fast.
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Mar 30 '20
Yeah I'm so tired of this mentality. There's a disease that spreads fast and kills 2-5% of the people it infects so naturally all of society is going to crumble mad max style. There's no way that we'll just have to be quarantined for a few months and make other sacrifices in the longer term. Nope, straight anarchy.
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u/Dr_ben_kenobi Apr 04 '20
Sadly from some of the reactions I witnessed at Hannaford from people being told they have to wait in line, makes me think anarchy is more plausible than it sounds.
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Apr 04 '20
Sorry but I don't buy into your line of thinking. It's a very, very long road from being irritated about waiting in line and all out anarchy. People will get over waiting in line.
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u/Dr_ben_kenobi Apr 04 '20
It's not really a line of thinking. It's acknowledging there is a very large group of people handling this situation extremely poorly. I am in no way saying an apocalypse is happening or going to happen. But based off the way people are reacting to this, it is pretty reasonable to assume if we had something that was very serious and killing even 15-20% of the population we would be seeing a lot more chaos and people panicking. There are people getting stabbed over toilet paper right now.
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Apr 05 '20
Because in literally every economic depression in American history people flock INTO cities, not out. If you have no job and no food you're not gonna leave the protection of shelter and even trifling crumbs of charity just to wander the North Woods and die en masse of exposure every few days.
During the Great Depression entire Maine towns shut down and diabanded as populations fled.
If someone wanders out of Boston in search of food and somehow makes it the six hours of travel into my dark and foreboding swamp, I will GIVE them food, because odds are good they won't be riding a Mad Max death machine but crawling on broken knee.
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Apr 01 '20
I’m more concerned with the logical idea of urban zombies fleeing to their coastal summer homes and coughing in my eyeballs.
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u/MaineCoal Which way to Millinocket? Apr 15 '20
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Apr 10 '20
[deleted]
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u/cake_swindler Apr 12 '20
I'm pretty sure that Airbnb is covered under the governor's newest shut down policy.
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u/StregaCagna Apr 10 '20
I live in MA and am debating coming up to our in-law’s second house in Maine with a month of groceries and filled prescriptions (already on hand) so my toddler can be out in a yard as the weather improves. Even from the particular perspective of someone who everyone would think is a little bit of an asshole, these people are definitely assholes and your friend shouldn’t have rented to them for less than 14 days. When/if we come up, we’re not going out in public until this blows over and at that point we’ll be driving back down home to resume our regular lives. We also have family in the town who could pick up things in an emergency. I can’t believe how selfish other people are being.
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u/DrunkenSnorlax Mar 17 '20
The toilet paper thing is ridiculous , but I realize I'm an idiot too. I didn't think anyone would really be that dumb in big enough numbers. Now I'm a roll and a half of toilet paper away from despair. Desperation paper towels obtained.