Though Denver was on target for hospitalizations, testing and positivity rates as of June 24, officials stated strongly that masks need to be worn “for the foreseeable future.”
Covid-19 Denver Update
Covid’s Long-Term Impact on Medicine
“For 30 years we’ve been talking about tele-medicine and thinking around the edges, but there’ve been policy barriers to really doing it on a broad scale, and Medicare and Medicaid pay only for very limited things; this pandemic really opened the floodgates to tele-health and tele-medicine, and we’ve learned very quickly how to scale this work up.”
Controlling the coronavirus: Where we stand. Where we’re going.
How is Denver doing at flattening the curve? What symptoms are Denverites reporting and how does that help track illness in the community—even before tests are done? Are we having Covid outbreaks in our grocery stores? What should we do when someone isn’t wearing a mask in the grocery store? What is the projection for how well the virus will be contained in coming months?
And, in a broader view, why do bats spread pathogens; and how are llamas contributing to possible treatments?
5/27/20 CO Public Health Allows Additional Business Openings
“It’s not like the flu. It’s far more deadly.”
The 1980s anthem “Don’t Stop Believin’” has taken on new meaning for Kimberly Schmitten, an RN at St. Joseph Hospital in Denver. “It is the greatest feeling,” she says, when she hears Journey’s familiar tune over the hospital intercom at the end of a day.
Individual Rights vs. the Common Good in the Age of COVID-19
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock’s March 23 “Stay at Home” order underscored the half-hearted response to social isolation. The weekend before this order, Denver parks and playgrounds were crowded again after a thaw in the late March snow. Buy-in for social isolation is understandably challenging for many in a society that cherishes individual freedoms and individualism over the collective.
Openness about Mental Health — and Using this Time to Nurture It
Talking about mental health issues is difficult for children and parents, but should not dissuade people from having these conversations, especially given the current challenges facing us all. “Having frequent open conversations with your child that convey trust and respect and really listening to what they say they want and need is the best approach hands down—no matter what the problem is.”
Governor and Mayor Heighten COVID-19 Restrictions. All Denver non-essential to stay at home.
Mayor Hancock announces citywide stay at home order and closure of non-essential businesses from March 24 to April 10. That follows Gov. Polis’ statewide order for all businesses to cut back their on-site staff to at least 50%. Social distancing orders remain in effect.
Schools Are Closed for 3 Weeks. Now COVID-19 really has our attention.
The everyday life of DPS families changed overnight with the announcement of a 3-week school closing. Understanding the importance and medical necessity of the decision may help parents cope.
Water, Unleaded Please
East Colfax homeowner Jasmine DeCelles recalls when her husband was washing something in the sink back in 2017 and noticed “a yucky film over the top of water sitting in a clean bowl.” Not even thinking about lead at the time, she requested a free testing kit from Denver Water, hoping to learn what was causing the water’s iridescent appearance.
