"Bob Shellard was set to visit his wife Nancy Shellard in her nursing home for their wedding anniversary on March 14, but when the home banned visitors due to coronavirus, Bob had to get creative.

Bob, 90, and Nancy, 88, have been married for 67 years. The two met when Nancy worked at a small dairy shop and Bob would visit while he waited for the bus to go to work at his job after World War II. The couple has four children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren with one on the way."

"Measures for suppression, rather than containment, do have knock-on effects. Maintaining physical health is important but home isolation can also have consequences for mental well-being.

Technology may be able to help bridge the gap, considering we do not know when the novel coronavirus strain will run its course and both the global economy and our lives will -- in theory -- be back to business as usual.

Below are some ways that tech can help us deal with home isolation, lockdowns, and maintaining communication with others who need it most. "

Go here -> https://www.zdnet.com/article/tech-tips-and-tricks-to-cope-with-coronavirus-social-isolation-measures/

"While sheltering in place, "The Happiness Lab" podcast host Dr. Laurie Santos tells Amanpour how to cushion the mental impact of social distancing.

Go here -> https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2020/03/17/amanpour-mental-health-coronavirus-laurie-santos.cnn

"Thelma Sanderlin, 88, has become accustomed to visitors. She has no husband or children, and no living siblings, but at least twice a month, a volunteer arrives at her apartment in the District to give her a break from the isolation that can jeopardize the health of older adults.

“I just like to have company sometimes,” Sanderlin said. “They’re young people, you see. They listen to my aches and pains.”

But now, as the coronavirus rapidly spreads, keeping Sanderlin isolated has become the goal. To help her, at least in person, would be to put her in danger."

Go here -> https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/volunteering-and-coronavirus-when-helping-people-could-mean-putting-them-at-risk/2020/03/17/37755f04-6864-11ea-b313-df458622c2cc_story.html

Go here -> https://govstatus.egov.com/wi-covid-19

And here -> https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/index.htm

"The novel coronavirus that emerged in Wuhan, China, late last year has quickly spread around the globe and is now advancing across the U.S. COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, is marked by respiratory problems that are usually mild but can be severe, especially in older adults and in people with underlying health conditions.

Here, CR keeps you up to date on the pandemic and shares advice on how to keep yourself and your family safe, covering your health, home, daily routine, tech, and food."
Go here -> https://www.consumerreports.org/coronavirus/coronavirus-covid-19-updates/

"As the Covid-19 pandemic sweeps through the nation, thousands of nursing homes are locking down.

Following an outbreak at a Kirkland, Washington, nursing home associated with the deaths of 25 people, retirement and care homes have been on high alert, especially since coronavirus mortality rates for the elderly are relatively high. Many are shutting their doors to outside visitors, limiting personnel, and canceling nearly all social gatherings. For nursing home residents who already struggle with loneliness, the complete ban on visits from loved ones, Saturday afternoon bingo, and religious services is a massive blow."

Go here -> https://www.vox.com/first-person/2020/3/18/21183753/coronavirus-covid-19-lockdown-old-people-nursing-homes-retirement

"Personal care aides and home health aides who work with the elderly — the population most susceptible to the illness — are also vulnerable. At a nursing home in Washington State linked to 25 coronavirus deaths as of Saturday, at least 70 employees have fallen sick."

Go here -> https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/15/business/economy/coronavirus-worker-risk.html

"As Americans and people around the world are being asked to help halt the spread of the coronavirus, we have frequently been told to practice social distancing. The idea is to “flatten the curve,” or slow the spread of the virus, decreasing the number of people who get sick at one time and the risk of overwhelming our medical system. In practice, social distancing mostly means avoiding close contact with people who do not live with you, and also public spaces, where surfaces may be contaminated. But, no matter how often we have been given such advice, it can be hard to totally change our habits, and the specific advice about how to behave can be confusing and overwhelming."

Go here -> https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/the-vital-importance-of-isolation

"With each new report she hears about coronavirus spreading, Sarah Driever grows increasingly worried about not only the health, but the survival of her two tiny twin boys.

Ari and Archie were born six weeks ago at University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital in the Twin Cities. They were born 14 weeks premature, weighing just 2 pounds each, without the ability to breathe on their own. Since their births, the twins have required special ventilators simply to be able to get enough oxygen to live.

Because of their breathing difficulties, their tiny, fragile bodies, and additional health struggles that included a life-saving surgery for Ari, even Sarah and her husband, Ang, are rarely able to hold their sons.

Now the couple must worry about their boys, already fighting for their lives, facing a new possible threat in the form of coronavirus."

Go here -> https://upnorthnewswi.com/2020/03/15/when-staying-away-is-safe-but-heartbreaking/

"American communities, public health officials and the media have done a fine job educating the public about how older adults are at heightened risk from COVID-19. Nursing homes and assisted living facilities are restricting visitors and closely monitoring residents for signs of the disease. For older people with sufficient resources, the message is clear: stay home, stock up on food and supplies, and avoid group activities.

However, these recommendations fail to address the struggle of millions of low-income older adults who lack access to healthy food and adequate nutrition on a daily basis. And although social distancing is necessary to help limit the spread of the virus, anything that deters people from accessing group meals at senior centers or food banks puts low-income seniors in danger of malnutrition and hunger. Millions of them also typically cannot afford to stock up on food or supplies, and if they can, many need transportation assistance to and from grocery stores."

Go here -> https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2020/03/16/for-millions-of-low-income-seniors-coronavirus-is-a-food-security-issue/

"Nearly one out of ten Medicare beneficiaries ages 65+ (9 percent) is food insecure, according to AARP Public Policy Institute analysis of the most recent Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS). That represents roughly 4.5 million older adults with Medicare who skip meals, do not eat balanced diets, cut meal sizes, or sometimes even go hungry because they cannot afford enough food. And while that prevalence of food insecurity is concerning, the situation is especially alarming among historically disadvantaged racial and ethnic groups."

Go here -> https://blog.aarp.org/thinking-policy/food-insecurity-among-medicares-65-stark-racial-and-ethnic-disparities

"Australia opens grocery stores early for elderly shoppers who are more threatened by COVID-19. Other news on shopping looks at what to buy, risks for grocery store workers and panic buying, as well."

Go here -> https://khn.org/morning-breakout/all-eyes-on-overwhelmed-grocery-stores-safe-shopping-for-elderly-dangers-for-cashiers-reassurances-about-toilet-paper-supplies/

"Close down group meals for seniors. Cancel social gatherings.

The directive, from the Illinois Department on Aging, sent shock waves through senior service organizations late last week.

Overnight, Area Agencies on Aging had to figure out how to help people in their homes instead of at sites where they mingle and get various types of assistance.

This is the new reality as the COVID-19 virus barrels into communities across America. Older adults — the demographic group most at risk of dying if they become ill ― are being warned against going out and risking contagion. And programs that serve this population are struggling to ensure that seniors who live in the community, especially those who are sick and frail, aren’t neglected.

Go here -> https://khn.org/news/as-coronavirus-surges-programs-struggle-to-reach-vulnerable-seniors-living-at-home/

"While we are all adjusting to new precautions as we start to understand how serious the COVID-19 coronavirus is, we also need to be concerned about how to minimize the toll that such precautions will have on our most economically vulnerable citizens. A country with the levels of racial and income inequality that we have here needs to be very proactive in preventing worst case financial, health, and hunger outcomes for poor and low-income Americans.

As in any pandemic, the first concern is always how to stop the spread of the disease. Our infectious disease experts are recommending a range of steps that, if applied consistently and quickly, could shorten the duration and depth of the COVID-19 contagion.

But our protection measures cannot stop at the medical front. COVID-19 has brutally uncovered the web of neglect that faces poor and low-income families throughout the United States."

Go here -> https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/03/16/protecting-our-most-economically-vulnerable-neighbors-during-the-covid-19-outbreak/

"The Coronavirus Pandemic And Your Retirement Accounts—What You Should And Should Not Do," Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes, March 17, 2020
"Most economists, me included, expect the Coronavirus outbreak to cause a recession. Since many people made bad financial investment decisions in the last recession, I am writing to remind us what to do and what not to do. But let me start with two important considerations.  

First, pause with gratitude if you have a retirement account—nearly half of workers do not. If you don’t have a retirement plan this is a good time to get one.

Second, know that in the last recession, workers who did not lose their jobs and did not have to withdraw from their retirement accounts to pay basic bills were back to where they had been fairly quickly.

As I have written before, the morbid joke about the Great Recession was that it turned Americans’ 401(k)s into 201(k)s. The nation’s 401(k)s and IRAs lost about $2.1 trillion over the course of 2008. But people who did not withdraw funds from their retirement accounts and kept saving did better than those who withdrew money for whatever reason. People who continue to add stock to their retirement accounts may be able to benefit. Stock market swings can have surprisingly little impact on your wealth if you don’t sell now."

Go here -> https://www.forbes.com/sites/teresaghilarducci/2020/03/17/the-coronavirus-pandemic-and-your-retirement-accounts-what-you-should-and-should-not-do/#59142de12478

"The Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration have sent warnings to seven companies for selling products that would allegedly cure or prevent COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. “These products are unapproved drugs that pose significant risks to patient health and violate federal law,” the two agencies said in a news release Monday.

The FTC and FDA jointly issued warning letters to Vital Silver; Quinessence Aromatherapy Ltd.; Xephyr, LLC, doing business as N-Ergetics; GuruNanda, LLC; Vivify Holistic Clinic; Herbal Amy LLC; and The Jim Bakker Show. The products cited in these warning letters include teas, essential oils, tinctures and colloidal silver.

No vaccines or drugs have been approved specifically to treat or prevent COVID-19.

Other scammers could offer in-demand coronavirus supplies, such as surgical masks, and simply not deliver them. In Great Britain, for example, the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau said there had been 21 reports of fraud since Feb. 10, many of which involved scams over masks, with one victim paying about $19,700 for masks that never arrived."

Go here -> https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2020/coronavirus.html

"There is nothing like a crisis to bring out con artists seeking to take advantage of the vulnerable and the unwary.

With the nation in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic, officials are warning of possible scams to bilk you out of money or steal your information."

Go here -> https://www.inquirer.com/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-covid19-scams-vaccine-investment-20200316.html

"Cybersecurity researchers have identified a growing number of phishing scams in which fraudsters are using coronavirus to entice victims. With phishing, recipients unwittingly click on emailed or texted links designed to trick them into giving their personal information.

“It is the most clickable lure that an attacker can send out. Everyone has jumped on the bandwagon,” said Ryan Kalember, an executive vice president at Proofpoint, a global cybersecurity company that is monitoring the phishing activity. “Their success depends on getting people to click. Coronavirus drives clicks like nothing else right now.”

Go here -> https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2020/03/12/cybercriminals-seek-profit-in-coronavirus?utm_campaign=2020-03-18+Rundown+(COVID-19)&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Pew

"Last Wednesday night, not long after President Trump’s Oval Office address, I called my mother to check in about the, you know, unprecedented global health crisis that’s happening. She told me that she and my father were in a cab on the way home from a fun dinner at the Polo Bar, in midtown Manhattan, with another couple who were old friends."

Go here -> https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/convincing-boomer-parents-to-take-the-coronavirus-seriously

"We are closing schools to limit the spread of covid-19 and, at the same time, telling older people, who are most vulnerable to the virus, to avoid children, who are less likely to fall ill but can easily be symptom-free carriers. We have not yet reckoned with the collision of these two public health efforts.

A 2014 Pew Research Center survey found 22 percent of grandparents provided regular child care for a grandchild — other sources suggest it may well be more than that now. How are we going to square this circle of child care when we separate the elders from the kids?"

Go here -> https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/03/16/grandparents-child-care-coronavirus/

"As a scholar of medical history, Gregg Mitman has studied infectious disease outbreaks over several centuries, in various parts of the world. The current pandemic has him thinking hard about the stories we will eventually tell (indeed, are already telling) about the global impact of COVID-19.

This May, Mitman (who is Vilas Research and William Coleman Professor of History, Medical History and Environmental Studies) is teaming up with professor Susan Lederer (Robert Turell Professor of Medical History and Bioethics) to teach a course for medical students entitled Outbreak! Epidemics, Migration, and the Changing Contours of Global Health.  

Epidemics are as old as humanity.  We asked Professor Mitman for his thoughts on the current COVID-19 crisis, as a historian who brings, to his scholarship and teaching, an interest in understanding the ways in which political economy, cultural values and beliefs, and scientific knowledge intersect in shaping the interactions between people and environments over time."

Go here -> https://ls.wisc.edu/news/lessons-from-past-epidemics?fbclid=IwAR0IJkNci9x9r5wN4GWpuYDBxyfiKHSLfNdOZbPckXhN8DfUqkkof3zgzfQ

"As coronavirus threatens to overwhelm the state’s health system, many Wisconsin residents told the Journal Sentinel they have not been able to get tested despite having concerning symptoms — fever, coughing and sometimes shortness of breath.

Even health care workers with symptoms are struggling to get tested. Their experiences underscore the uncertainty of how widespread COVID-19 already is in Wisconsin.

Patients say they’ve been told there aren’t enough tests. They say they've been told they don't qualify because they haven't traveled abroad, or they aren't in a population at high risk for needing a ventilator or having other serious health consequences."

Go here -> https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2020/03/17/covid-19-test-shortage-how-many-wisconsin-coronavirus-cases-unknown-people-have-milwaukee/5062765002/