From ABC7, San Francisco:
Doctors at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek say they have seen more deaths by suicide during this quarantine period than deaths from the COVID-19 virus.
The head of the trauma in the department believes mental health is suffering so much, it is time to end the shelter-in-place order.Let's see how the Bay Area officials who ordered the lockdowns, without any scientific studies to back them up, respond when the post-COVID-19 investigations begin.
"Personally I think it's time," said Dr. Mike deBoisblanc. "I think, originally, this (the shelter-in-place order) was put in place to flatten the curve and to make sure hospitals have the resources to take care of COVID patients.We have the current resources to do that and our other community health is suffering."
The numbers are unprecedented, he said.
"We've never seen numbers like this, in such a short period of time," he said. "I mean we've seen a year's worth of suicide attempts in the last four weeks."
Kacey Hansen has worked as a trauma nurse at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek for almost 33 years. She is worried because not only are they seeing more suicide attempts, she says they are not able to save as many patients as usual.
"What I have seen recently, I have never seen before," Hansen said. "I have never seen so much intentional injury."
The trauma team is speaking out because they want the community to be aware, for people to reach out and support each other and for those who are suffering to know they can get help.
It was not difficult to see these suicides were coming. I warned about them back in March: Suicide Attempts Could Increase By 58,500 Per Month During the Lockdown.
So what is the reaction of some officials?
Some are even now expanding their orders. The city of San Francisco is now ordering that masks be worn outside in almost all cases. They claim "substantial scientific evidence...that wearing Face Coverings," is one of the "strongest protections.
They, however, did not site even one study or any other pieces of evidence.
And they failed to address studies like this: New Study Casts More Doubt on Effectiveness of Masks in Preventing COVID-19 Spread.
Nor have they addressed the charges that masks pose serious health concerns:Neurosurgeon: Face Masks Pose Serious Risks To The Healthy
And then there is this from the World Health Organization advising against the wearing of facemasks:
The investigations will eventually come and we will learn if these officials were just incompetent or worse.
-RW
I vote for incompetent and worse.
ReplyDeleteIncompetence is no excuse for placing millions of people under house arrest and destroying their livelihoods. Anyone involved in issuing shut-down orders and/or threatening people with fines and or jail for not complying should be prosecuted.
ReplyDeleteWe all know now beyond a shadow of a doubt no one in this country has a spine so expect more of the same from the swamp
DeleteThe irony is that the point of Lockdown-20 is to flatten the Covid-19 curve. But, there isn't much of that curve to flatten, anyway, and now there is a spike in suicide attempts, which overwhelm counselors to help people, thus limiting them to do an effective job, i.e. spiking the Suicide curve.
ReplyDeleteNow they need to lift the lockdowns in order to flatten the suicide curve.
ReplyDeleteLet's say that the politicians are not evil and not power hungry. I know that's a stretch, but it is an assumption for the sake of argument. Just say we have people in office that look out for themselves and think too much of themselves while never seeing much beyond the next election.
ReplyDeleteThey can end the lockdown but if metrics worsen then they will look like idiots and may not get re-elected.
They can end the lockdown and if metrics remain the same or improve they will look like idiots for having done it and may not get re-elected.
Or they can continue the lockdown, find new reasons to continue it, to keep people scared, introduce new rules, new social rituals (mask wearing), and so on and so forth. Put down any revolts, convince the public that those who disobey are a threat to society, etc and so on. If opposition becomes too much then and only then end the lockdown and blame public pressure.
Which option has the best chances of serving their self interest in retaining their cushy government job?