Leaders lead: some better than others  | “More people will get sick because of his presidency than if somebody else were in charge. More people will suffer the financial hardship of sickness because of his presidency than if somebody else were in charge. The medical crisis will arrive faster and last longer than if somebody else were in charge. So, too, the economic crisis. More people will lose their jobs than if somebody else were in charge. More businesses will be pushed into bankruptcy than if somebody else were in charge.

“He went out of his way to spin the coronavirus as a menace coming from abroad, referring to it as a ‘foreign virus’—just a few days after his Secretary of State  made a point to call it the ‘Wuhan virus.’ It’s part of a long history in which xenophobia warps the naming of infectious diseases—one that stretches as far back as the 15th century. The point seems relatively straightforward, as this piece shows: ‘Foreign=bad.’” – The Atlantic newsletter

Social distancing; what’s that? | “Not everyone can work from home or cease traveling. Here’s what you can do when circumstance forces you to be out and about during the COVID-19 outbreak.” – MIT Technology Review

Triage: for real | “The Extraordinary Decisions Facing Italian Doctors: There are now simply too many patients for each one of them to receive adequate care.” – The Atlantic

Triage: for real | When the surge of patients exceeds the capacity to treat during pandemic, what happens? What’s the plan? Columbia news, views & reviews has been writing about emergency preparedness planning for years. In 2009, many jurisdictions prepared for influenza pandemic; some, as Utah published its “Pandemic Influenza
Hospital and ICU Triage Guidelines.” It’s why the lessons of the last great flu outbreak in 1918-1919 serve as a model:

“The Spanish Flu pandemic affected almost every part of American society. With one-quarter of the US infected, it was impossible to escape from the illness. As the disease spread, schools and businesses emptied. Telephone, mail, and garbage collection services stopped as workers became ill and could not do their jobs.

“These disturbing facts about the Spanish Flu pandemic hint at the possible severity of a future pandemic, and why we must do what we can to prepare:

• • Infection and death rates were highest among adults 20 to 50 years old.
  • In Philadelphia, so many children were orphaned that the Bureau of Child Hygiene was overwhelmed and unable to care for them.
  • Because there were so many deaths, funerals were limited to 15 minutes.
  • Bodies piled up as the epidemic claimed life after life.
  • In addition to the lack of healthcare workers and medical supplies, there was a shortage of coffins, morticians, and gravediggers.” – SOURCE: Pennsylvania Department of Health.

Ultimate killer | Tabby: Does a lot of killing – Futurity

Rain Barrel Workshop |Penn State Master Watershed Stewards will guide you through the process of constructing your own, fully functioning rain barrel at this Rain Barrel Workshop!