March 27, 2020
After the physician townhall last night, I found myself reflecting on moments in life, and certainly as a doctor, where I have had no perfect solutions. Part of my role is helping people come to terms with this fact and reconcile (their very real concerns) with the lack of an ideal answer.
Healthcare adds an element of time dependence to this equation - that is you don't often have the full range of choices you know are available because of staffing or the time of day or clinical urgency or some other externality. This certainly heightens frustration - when you know something is possible but not achievable, even the best choice can feel bad.
There is, however, a difference between settling for mediocrity (or worse) and working to make the best of something. Not only is it a difference in attitude, but one of conscious thought. That is, I find a comfort in knowing I looked at all of my choices and made the best (or least bad). Our job is to offer the best tools we can and help our doctors get the information they need. We are, in essence, helping our physicians and NPPs understand the choices they have for their patients. Staying sharp and clear of thought will help us help them.
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Latest FT data
https://www.ft.com/coronavirus-latest
And while we're focused on financial analysis, here is on blogger's view on further containing this epidemic
https://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2020/03/a-40-day-plan-to-start-recovery.html
Here is where these numbers get confusing - worthy of critical thought: Japantoday.com writing about how the cultural qualities of the Japanese have minimized the spread of the virus (see FT data above). Look at the comments - lot's of suggestions that there is underreporting and under-testing.
https://japantoday.com/category/features/opinions/what%E2%80%99s-behind-japan%E2%80%99s-surprisingly-low-coronavirus-numbers
And then you find Tweets like this (which are one-off observational data)
https://twitter.com/ShaneJ614/status/1240793224517545984
It is clear why these data are hard to interpret and harder to trust when public reporting may not be fully transparent and an article that sums up all the uncertainty nicely:
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/fog-pandemic/608764/
Based on our PEX townhall comments from yesterday, I found some data: Comments from NY Pres. Hospital on the beginning of the wave:
https://twitter.com/DrYaghoobzadeh/status/1243221265776816129
Some further analysis on the impact to hospitals. The opportunity cost, if you will, of this epidemic
https://www.stratadecision.com/blog/report-hospitals-face-massive-losses-on-covid-19-cases-even-with-proposed-increase-in-federal-reimbursement/
And Some ways healthcare thinks through rationing
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsb2005114?af=R&rss=currentIssue
Ahh, humans being scrappy and clever
https://vimeo.com/400057735
https://freebreathing.org/
There is so much to like about Sarah Kiefhaber's suggestion to watch Ipsy Dixit's parody corona virus songs on YouTube.
His name (it's a logical fallacy!), his lyrics, and his song choice. So much wit and humor in one place. Let's get his subscribers up above 40!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfm--Woiy4PbIMfmEyFZCdg?pbjreload=10
logical fallacy https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Ipse_dixit
Someone made a logical fallacies infographic!
https://i.imgur.com/30HPR9p.jpg
I often stare at my smart devices (Arlo, Nest protect, iPhone, and related IOT things) and wonder who is aggregating the data, what they know about me, and which of the many ads I am being shown are based on which of my behaviors.
(for background https://gizmodo.com/how-nest-is-already-using-all-that-data-from-its-army-o-1591811364)
Two articles from Crystal on using our cell phones to track movement and thereby social distancing
WaPost
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/03/24/social-distancing-maps-cellphone-location/
NYT
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/23/opinion/coronavirus-economy-recession.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage
This is odd.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-germany-saint/german-cathedral-dusts-off-relics-of-st-corona-patron-of-epidemics-idUSKBN21C2PM
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Bonus Round - weekend entertainment edition - What Adam is watching
My wife has purchased ticket(s?) for the ONLINE Annapolis Film Festival. Which, it turns out, you don't have to be in Annapolis to attend (that is the magic of the online, I suppose).
https://www.annapolisfilmfestival.com/
I watched the first two episodes of Unorthodox on Netflix. An adaptation of the book, it is the story of a woman who escapes her ultraorthodox Jewish life in New York. Aside for the story (freeing your mind and body from a very constrained society), the visuals are particularly well done using music and ritual as metaphors. It is only 4 episodes, so a reasonable time investment for a compelling telling of the story...
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/unorthodox/84115
the book https://www.amazon.com/Unorthodox-Scandalous-Rejection-Hasidic-Roots/dp/1439187010
And, for those that may share a certain proclivity for Star Wars, I offer a very long (3 hours!) behind the scenes look at The Rise of Skywalker, which takes a sentimental approach to weaving in behind the scenes footage from the earlier movies. A little sappy and self-important, but entertaining to watch how many of the actors where saying to themselves, "Holy Crap, I'm acting in Star Wars movie!!!" I totally would have been thinking the same.
https://youtu.be/txLoFqFyr08
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Clean hands, sharp minds team.
Adam
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