ELECTIVE SURGERIES TO RESUME AT OMAHA HOSPITALS - WITH CORONAVIRUS SCREENING

OMAHA - Nonessential surgeries have been on hold in Omaha since mid-March, but hospitals and surgery centers in Omaha and Lincoln announced that they will resume elective surgery procedures and other procedures on Monday. However, patients will be selected carefully, and the patients will be screened for COVID-19 prior to the surgery, either through testing or questionnaires. Many of the hospitals are limiting the procedures to those that can be completed in a short stay. Procedures will also be spread out so to adhere to social distancing. Additionally, no-visitor policies will continue. Dr. William Lydiatt, vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer at Methodist and Methodist Women’s Hospitals, stated that strict measures will be taken to ensure patient safety.

Governor Ricketts stated that hospitals and surgery centers can begin elective surgeries because Nebraska has enough ventilators and beds for COVID-19 patients. Specifically, “hospitals must have 30% of overall beds available, as well as 30% of intensive care beds and 30% of ventilators. The governor’s announcement also freed dental and veterinary offices to resume nonelective procedures, as well as eye care facilities and ambulatory surgery centers.”

View article HERE.

ERIN GRACE: HEALTH CARE WORKERS FACE EXHAUSTION, PTSD ON FRONT LINES OF CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

OMAHA - Many health care workers have begun to experience extreme exhaustion associated with the unrelenting working hours demanded by COVID-19. Experts have stated that there is a worry that health care workers will experience burnout “and an affliction usually ascribed to soldiers, post-traumatic stress disorder.” Last week, a top emergency room doctor in New York committed suicide.

To help attenuate the negative consequences on health care workers, a new doctor hotline has been created for free psychiatric care. Also, various hospitals, universities, and other workplaces have taken it upon themselves to institute resilience training for their employees. Dr. Randy Pritza, chief medical officer of CHI Health’s physician enterprise, called it a “super-collaborative.” Priza stated that it is important for health care workers to take care of themselves during this unique time. Sleep is needed, and the front-lines must be cognizant of the health of their fellow workers.

View article HERE.

MENTAL HEALTH WORKERS URGE 'PATIENCE WITH OURSELVES, PATIENCE WITH OTHERS'

OMAHA - Both calls to suicide and mental health hotlines have dramatically increased due to COVID-19. Providers have stated that there are several factors that cause this. In particular, the chaos caused by the closure of public places, the speed, and the uncertainty about timelines have caused mental illness symptoms to be exacerbated. Providers have stated that "There is a lot of trauma to being alone." 

Providers have articulated, however, that it is necessary to emphasize patience. Executive Director of Kountze Commons, Taylor Brown, said she’s worried about compassion fatigue, which occurs when human service workers absorb the trauma of their clients.

View article HERE.

OPEN DOOR MISSION RECORDS FIRST CORONAVIRUS CASES AS NEBRASKA TOPS 6,000

OMAHA - A confirmed case of COVID-19 has now emerged in an Omaha homeless shelter. In total, six people associated with the Open Door Mission tested positive. The cases confirmed at Open Door Mission have been contracted by both staff members and homeless people.

As of now, the other two largest homeless shelters in Omaha, the Siena Francis House and Stephens Center, have not developed any positive COVID-19 cases. The two shelters are now “testing people with symptoms of COVID-19, but so far, none of those tests have come back positive.”

View article HERE.

FREEMONT CHICKEN PLANT WORKER DIES; PLANTS IN MADISON, SCHUYLER TO CLOSE TEMPORARILY; PORK PLANTS CLOSURE CREATES EXPECTED EUTHANIZING OF PIGS

OMAHA - An employee of a Freemont plant that supplies chickens to Costco has died from COVID-19. A spokeswoman for the chicken processing plant stated that the employee had an underlying health condition. The worker had not been working at the plant since the date of April 17 after the employee voiced concerns regarding an underlying health condition and the virus. In total, 28 workers have tested positive at the plant. The plant has 1,100 workers in its employ.

Tyson Foods pork plant in Madison County and a Cargill beef plant in Schuyler announced they will temporarily close. As a result, several thousand workers will be affected and the slaughter process of hogs and cattle will slow. Similar closures in South Dakota have lead to a 25% production cut for pork products. The predicament of pigs reaching their market size with no where to go is leading to a predicted 3 million to 7.2 million pigs needing to be euthanized over the next two months. 

View article HERE.

NEBRASKA STATE LAWMAKER'S FATHER DIES FROM COVID-19

LINCOLN- Sen. Tony Vargas, of Omaha, says his father, 72-year-old Antonio Vargas, has died from COVID-19. The elder Vargas had spent 31 days on a ventilator in a New York hospital before passing on Wednesday morning. Tony Vargas says his mother, Lidia Vargas, contracted the virus as well but was able to remain quarantined at home. She has since recovered. 

“My father has always been a source of quiet strength for our family. He has always been a fighter and, for the last month, fought for his life, to overcome this disease. Words cannot describe what this loss means for me, my mother and brothers, and all of our family and friends here in the U.S. and in Peru,” said Senator Vargas. 

View article HERE.

NEBRASKA JOBLESS CLAIMS TOP 100,000 AS STATE STRUGGLES TO KEEP UP

LINCOLN — New jobless claims filed last week pushed the pandemic-driven total past 100,000 in Nebraska as the state unemployment system struggled to cope. A federal report released Thursday showed that 8,197 Nebraska workers filed first-time unemployment claims last week. That was down from the week before but is more than 10 times the number seen before the coronavirus started wreaking havoc on the nation’s economy.

State Labor Commissioner John Albin acknowledged that the state has not kept pace with the deluge. He said that Nebraskans filed three years’ worth of claims in two months and that only two years’ worth have been paid so far. The peak came during the first week of April, when almost 27,000 Nebraskans filed initial claims. “The numbers are just unparalleled,” he said.

View article HERE.

RALSTON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO RECEIVE LAPTOPS IN THE FALL; OPS PROPOSED SIMILAR PLAN

RALSTON- Superintendent Mark Adler stated that high school students in the Ralston Public School district will receive Chromebook laptops in the fall. According to Adler, the choice aims to “level the playing field” for students that do not have computer technology in their homes. Again, the money used to make the purchase will come from the CARES Act. Adler also stated that the district intends to expand the one-to-one technology to the seventh and eighth grades in a year.

 The Superintendent of Omaha Public Schools, Cheryl Logan, said that the “district will buy laptops or iPads that have Internet connectivity built into them for all 54,000 OPS students.” The purchase would have to be approved by the school board. If it is approved, the district would become a one-one device district. Jeremy Maskel, an OPS spokesman, said that the money would come from the federal coronavirus relief bill known as the CARES Act.

The decision intends to promote the efficacy of distance learning as some students have failed to participate because of Wi-Fi connectivity problems.

View article regarding Ralston Public Schools HERE.

View article regarding OPS HERE.

U.S. ETHANOL PLANTS IDLING; HOUSE OVERSIGHT MEMBERS CALL PIPELINE APPROVAL PROCESS "STACKED AGAINST LANDOWNERS"

WASHINGTON - Approximately two dozen conservative groups, including Heritage Action for America and the Texas Public Policy Foundation, have called for President Donald Trump to waive the biofuel blending requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard for the remainder of 2020. The groups contended “that the decline in gasoline consumption due to the pandemic makes the 15 billion gallon blending requirement impossible to meet.”

That comes as the Renewable Fuels Association stated that “As of Monday, over half of the operating capacity of U.S. ethanol plants is idle. Of the 204 plants, 46 are operating at full capacity and 74 are temporarily shuttered.”

Next, Democrats sitting on the House Oversight Subcommittee on civil rights and civil liberties articulated that “FERC's natural gas pipeline approval process is 'stacked' against landowners in the path of interstate projects.” According to the report, “FERC has a more than 99 percent approval rate for certificates that allow natural gas companies to assert eminent domain in court. The investigation also found that FERC issued a tolling order to every single landowner who requested a rehearing over the last 12 years, and in every case, FERC eventually denied the request.”

View article HERE.

BRIDGE LOANS TO STRUGGLING ENERGY COMPANIES UNDER CONSIDERATION; COVID-19 DEATHS AND AIR POLLUTION? QUESTIONS RAISED ABOUT HARVARD STUDY

WASHINGTON -POLITICO MORNING ENERGY: United States Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette informed members of the North Dakota Petroleum Council that bridge loans to oil companies struggling with debt because of the recent crash in oil price are under consideration. However, President Trump may be resistant if it requires the federal government to take an equity stake in the companies.

Also in Washington, the American Petroleum Institute has urged the EPA and it's advisors to cast a skeptical eye on a study by Harvard University connecting increased COVID-19 deaths to air pollution. API stated the study cannot be used to draw policy inferences as it has limitations and has not undergone a rigorous peer review.

View article HERE.

UTAH DOCTORS QUESTION ACCURACY OF CORONAVIRUS TESTS PROVIDED BY TESTNEBRASKA PARTNERS

LINCOLN - An email from an infectious disease specialist in Utah has drawn scrutiny to the accuracy of coronavirus tests provided by a private company contracted to roll out the same test kits in Nebraska.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported Thursday the tests provided by Nomi Health may require a higher limit of detection to return a positive result, meaning some people who may have contracted COVID-19 would show up as negative. Only 2% of the tests conducted at Test Utah sites — the public-private partnership that served as a template for Test Nebraska — were positive since April 1, the newspaper reported. That's compared to a 5% return of positive tests from other testing sites in Utah.

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts announced the $27 million partnership with Nomi Health, which is providing the tests produced by Co-Diagnostics; Qualtrics, which designed the online health assessment more than 100,000 Nebraskans have used since the program was announced; and Domo Inc., which provides data analytics, on April 22. 

View the article HERE.

THREE YEARS AFTER BEER SALES END, 'THERE'S A LOT OF HOPE FOR WHITECLAY'

LINCOLN - The unincorporated community of Whiteclay, Nebraska had a renewal of its liquor licenses denied by the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission in 2017 due to lack of law enforcement causing unimaginable alcohol-related consequences. Alcohol routinely caused people to be passed out on the side of the road and frequent public urination. John Maisch, a Nebraska native who teaches business law at the University of Central Oklahoma, has quantified some of the differences in a research paper he published last week between pre-denial of liquor licenses and post-denial.

One area of improvement in the community, according to Maisch, is that alcohol-fuelled violence has dried up. Additionally, the vagrants and drunks passed out on the street are gone. The surrounding communities have seen an increase in the number of people visiting due to safer conditions.

The surrounding areas have experienced widespread substance abuse and fetal alcohol syndrome. Yet, fewer people are addicted to one substance than in years past. Favian Kennedy, executive director of Anpetu Luta Otipi, the Oglala Sioux Tribe’s comprehensive alcohol, and substance abuse treatment program says that more than the stores are closing; the norms are changing too, albeit slowly. President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe from 2013-14, Bryan Brewer, now considers Whiteclay “a regular little town” – primed for business.

View the article HERE.

COVID-19 SUPERSPREADER EVENTS IN 28 COUNTRIES: CRITICAL PATTERNS AND LESSONS

CANADA - “Flügge droplets,” or mucosalivary droplets expelled through actions such as coughing and sneezing, have been identified as integral to the transmission of COVID-19. However, analyzing these droplets has proved to be unexpectedly difficult with respect to COVID-19. This is because the mucosalivary droplets are “cocooned within a warm, moist enveloping gas cloud… that protects the droplets from evaporation and allows even small globules to travel much farther than one might otherwise predict.” This protection of sorts for the mucosalivary droplets allows them to deliver a pathogen payload “about four times the length of the six-foot social-distancing buffer zone we’ve all been taught to enforce since mid-March.”

Thus, the transmission of COVID-19 does not occur on the “microscopic scale of nucleic acids or on the gargantuan scale of whole nations. It takes place on the everyday face-to-face scale of inches and feet.” Nonetheless, scientific awareness is least prominent concerning COVID-19’s mode of transmission.

Two classifications have been articulated regarding how droplets can be emitted: first, very large payloads of mucosalivary droplets that fall due to gravity after being expelled, and second, clouds similar to fine aerosols that have the potential remain in the air for much longer than the larger droplets. It is imperative to discern which of the two classifications is predominately responsible for the spread of COVID-19. “Policy optimization depends entirely on which mechanism (if any) is dominant.”

If large droplets prove to be the primary transmission mode of COVID-19, then expanded use of masks and social distancing is critical. However, if clouds of tiny aerosol droplets are dominant, social distancing protocols become less important. In that case, outdoor spaces would need to be prioritized and indoor ventilation systems improved. A third mode of transmission, contaminated services, would require fastidious washing of hands and wiping down of surfaces.

Unfortunately, international data has not been useful when trying to determine which mode is dominant. To remedy this, the article attempts to aggregate data from 58 “superspreading events” (SSEs) in an effort to discover the dominant form of transmission.

The data of the 58 SSEs showed “almost all of the SSEs took place indoors, where people tend to pack closer together in social situations, and where ventilation is poorer.” Additionally, of the 54 SSEs for which there was an associated underlying activity, only 11 did not involve religious activity, a party, a funeral, a cruise, or extended face-to-face professional networking. Four SSEs occurred at meatpacking plants, where workers must communicate loudly and with force in order to overcome the loud machinery. Three SSEs occurred at sporting events where “fans regularly rain saliva in all directions as they communally celebrate or commiserate in response to each turn of fortune.”

In conclusion, “When do COVID-19 SSEs happen? Based on the list I’ve assembled, the short answer is: Wherever and whenever people are up in each other’s faces, laughing, shouting, cheering, sobbing, singing, greeting, and praying.” Business cubicles do not seem to emerge as hotspots for SSEs, regardless of the uneven quality of ventilation in workplaces across the globe. Additionally, SSEs did not emerge in university classrooms, “which one would expect to be massive engines of infection if COVID-19 could be transmitted easily through airborne small-droplet diffusion.” Moreover, airplane flights have not emerged as epicenters of SSEs.

Simply put, there is a clear pattern of transmission which is “human behaviour that permits the direct ballistic delivery of a large-droplet Flüggian payload from face A to face B.” If the virus is indeed transmitted through the ballistic transmission of large respiratory particles, the information would be valuable for policymakers wanting of restarting the economy.

View article HERE.

HOW THE CORONAVIRUS IS UPENDING MEDICAL PRIVACY

WASHINGTON - In an effort to curtail the spread of COVID-19, Apple and Google are building massive coronavirus tracking apps. These apps allow governments to disclose infections to the public and pitch the idea of "immunity passports." 

Despite the apps' utility regarding public health, major privacy risks have arisen. The information that the apps' are predicated on set back emerging safeguards regarding digital medical data. There are five major ways that the coronavirus is changing how people are being watched:

1. Contact tracing. On the apps developed by Apple and Google, individuals would be able to designate themselves as "infected." Bluetooth would alert others who are in range of catching the disease. 

2. Tracking mobility. "Apple, Facebook and Google are also sharing troves of data with public health authorities to show whether people are staying near home or moving between two points, to help gauge the effectiveness of social distancing and other public health strategies." The article states, "The data culled from the cell phone location data is aggregated and stripped of personal identifiers, though privacy experts warn it still could be matched to individuals."

3. Public disclosures. "Authorities worldwide are releasing more information when a coronavirus case is confirmed and where the person got infected. In theory, the disclosures to the public or to employers increase transparency about how the disease is spreading. However, the information could lead to harassment and stigmatization."

4. Immunity passports. Public health officials have considered the idea of releasing immunity passports that certify that someone has caught the disease and has since recovered, allowing that individual to move more freely. However, "experts say publicly outing patients could lead to cases of mistaken identity."

5. Digital quarantine - "apps or wearable gadgets that allow authorities to see if infected patients are leaving their homes and putting others at risk." However, Omada's Savage has stated that quarantines still require due process. 

View article HERE.

COVID'S WAR ON WOMEN

WASHINGTON - The pandemic has been worse for women and girls, according to Ryan Heath and Renuka Rayasam. Women are expected to face three consequences as a result of the pandemic, regardless of the choices that they make. First, domestic violence has sharply increased during quarantines and social distancing measures. Second, 7 million unplanned pregnancies are expected. 

The United Nations' population agency stated that "The pandemic is deepening inequality." Additionally, the UNFPA Executive Director Natalia Kanem has articulated that the safety nets of most countries are akin to swiss cheese and are leaving many women behind. Lastly, more workplace risk is falling on women than men as they are more likely to be considered "essential workers."

View article HERE.

EDITORIAL: STATE, DOUGLAS COUNTY OFFICIALS MUST HELP OMAHA GET FEDERAL VIRUS AID

OMAHA - It is difficult to understand why Congress decided to make it so difficult for cities to receive a part of the $200 billion in federal emergency aid during the virus crisis. Many mid-sized cities, such as Omaha, are not eligible. In fact, “Of the six states bordering Nebraska, only one has a city that qualifies to receive direct aid: Colorado, home to Denver (population 727,000).”

It is not shocking that the U.S. Conference of Mayors has written House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urging Congress to lower the population cutoff. Such high a population cutoff can reduce the effectiveness of cities when dealing with coronavirus. To emphasize this request, officials from Lincoln, Omaha, among others have written to Nebraska’s congressional delegation to urge action.

View article HERE.

LINCOLN MAYOR SAYS SHE MAY NOT EASE CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS ON GOVERNOR'S TIMELINE

LINCOLN - Governor Pete Ricketts announced that 10 more counties in the state will be able to reopen, restaurant dining rooms, barbershops, and beauty salons, with some restrictions, on May 11. However, Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird announced that Lincoln will not as the city continues to combat coronavirus. Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird stated that she reserves the right to keep restrictions in place.

Hall, Dawson, Saline, and Dakota counties were left out of the Governor’s announcement on easing restrictions as their meatpacking plants have been hit hard by the outbreak.

View article HERE.

OUTBREAK AT DAKOTA CITY TYSON PLANT GROWS, FACILITY TEMPORARILY SHUT DOWN FOR CLEANING

MADISON- The number of  COVID-19 cases in the Elkhorn Logan Valley Public Health Department has grown again, as has the outbreak at the Tyson pork processing plant in Madison.

 The facility, Tyson Fresh Meats, announced it  will close over the weekend in order to complete a deep clean of the facility in hopes of quelling employee concerns regarding coronavirus. The facilities will be closed from Friday to Monday. Tyson and local officials have not stated how many cases of coronavirus workers have developed, however the Elkhorn Logan Valley Health Department confirmed 146 cases, with 96 specifically tied to the Tyson plant. 

On Tuesday, President Trump signed an executive order to keep meat and food production facilities “open as much as possible.”

View article HERE.

UNMC EXPERTS WRITE PLAYBOOK TO HELP MEATPACKERS PREVENT SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS

OMAHA - The University of Nebraska Medical Center published a playbook with recommendations to curtail the spread of coronavirus at meatpacking plants. The playbook argued that “These efforts should be made an urgent public health priority because infection among worker populations could also lead to community infection, eventually affecting further spread in entire population’s health.”

The playbook recommends installing dividers or plastic shields to attempt and separate workers. It also advises that flexible leave and absence policies be implemented, as “Unemployment and disability compensation are not adequate sick leave policies for COVID-19 for workers.” Additionally, airflow should be adjusted to ensure clean air flowing in one direction.

View article HERE.

TRUMP TOLD SAUDI: CUT OIL OR LOSE U.S. MILITARY SUPPORT

WASHINGTON - President Trump has “told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that unless the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) started cutting oil production, he would be powerless to stop lawmakers from passing legislation to withdraw U.S. troops from the kingdom, four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.” This comes as the Trump Administration attempts to protect the United States oil industry from a historic price meltdown. Senator Kevin Cramer, among 12 others, sent a letter to the Crown Prince to remind him of Saudi Arabia’s strategic reliance on Washington.

President Trump held a meeting with Senators Cramer, Cruz, and Sullivan along with oil and gas executives from companies such as Chevron and Exxon Mobile on April 3. During the meeting, “Cramer told Trump that Washington can use the billions of dollars it spends defending Saudi Arabia on other military priorities ‘if our friends are going to treat us this way.’”

According to a Middle Eastern Diplomat, “The prospect of losing U.S. military protection made the royal family ‘bend at the knees’ and bow to Trump’s demands.”

View article HERE.