Coronavirus thread

[Lester Polfus]

For those of you with more knowledge of the hospital ships (pretty much every member), does the ship come into port or does it anchor offshore? How are patients transported to/from the ships? Chopper? Boats? Port facilities?

How is a ship like that (re)supplied?

It can both anchor and dock. They are big ships, not much smaller than an aircraft carrier IIRC. They are actually converted supertankers.

Clearly you need a channel deep enough for the vessel, and appropriate port facilities. They tied up to the pier in NYC only a couple days after 9/11.

For the Haiti earthquake, they anchored off. I think this was due to a combination of aids to navigation (buoys etc) being displace, a lack of good port facilities and an uncertain security situation.

They have a fully capable helicopter pad. I'm not sure how big of an asset they can land, but I know Coast Guard Jayhawks can land on it (same as a Blackhawk) and I suspect bigger aircraft. They can also receive patients via small boat, or just bring them aboard from the pier.

The Mercy and Comfort are both capable of underway replenishment, where they steam next to another ship, shoot lines across and haul over supplies.

The capabilities of those two vessels are awesome and in my opinion represent some of the best things the US has to offer the world in a time of crisis.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Thanks for the info. I was commenting on some reports that seemed worse than it actually is. I know the people involved will do their best to help the situation.

[Duelist]

I just directed my office to cancel everything up to April 1st inclusive. Basically the next two weeks of operations.

Nothing is urgent and this is in keeping with current CMS and CDC guidelines. This is around 40 outpatient procedures, and 120 clinical office visits It was an extremely hard decision for me and will inconvenience a lot of people, but I can not in good conscience continue risk my patients, or staff's health in this uncertain time. I am almost shaking making the decision actually because it is such a big call for a one man practice. Thankfully I can continue to pay staff, and can personally go without income. For a while anyway. If this goes on for months...

We are out in the sticks so are about two weeks behind the big urban areas. We have no confirmed cases in this county, but I fear the tsunami is coming.

Doc, I think this was a wise choice and no one is going to hold it against you.

[GyroF-16]

CDC guidelines green lights the use of bandanas when your N95s run out. Anyone heard of the Administration placing orders for 300 million yet?

https://www.mediaite.com/tv/cnns-gup...danas-scarves/

Not sure if it’s been pointed out yet...

The use of improvised masks is recommended for THOSE KNOWN TO BE EXPOSED to the virus.
So the idea is to attempt to keep stuff IN, not to keep the virus out of healthy people. I think N95 or better is still the only effective way to keep doing that.

Medical folks - please step in and correct me if I got this wrong.

[Lester Polfus]

Thanks for the info. I was commenting on some reports that seemed worse than it actually is. I know the people involved will do their best to help the situation.

I find the response time of "weeks" curioius. They were on scene in NYC a couple days after the towers fell and their response to Haiti was super fast.

The ship is staffed by a small crew mixed of Navy of and civilian mariners. The actual medical team comes from the Naval Hospital, plus whatever resources they can scoop up. So when 9/11 and Hait popped they told the hospital staff "pack your shit and get ready to go" and they went. They hold various drills and exercises to make that as smooth and quick as possible.

Everything after this is pure conjecture.

I wonder if the "weeks" response time is because they are trying to figure out the best way to staff the ships, and where to send it. Previously the crisis has been "there" and we are going to send resources from "here." Right now the crisis is "everywhere." So emptying the naval medical facilities in Virginia and San Diego may not be the best way to do it.

There's also the question of where to send it. One person mentioned Seattle. In the coming weeks and months, we may look at Seattle as the major metro area that got off easy. Here in Washington state, we've been the red zone in the beginning, but we also locked down early. We're already setting up a hospital in a soccer field, and etc.

So it would very difficult to send the ship to Seattle, figure out it's actually NOT the worst off and then have to shift gears and go to San Francisco for example.

[Alpha Sierra]

The hospital ships will takes weeks to deploy according the Sec. of Defense. I recall this happened in past crises. Maybe Sandy or Katrina?

So I ask WTF are they good for? A disaster and a war? If when the crisis happens, it takes weeks to turn the key?

Take the helm admiral. Show the Navy how it's done.

[Alpha Sierra]

It can both anchor and dock. They are big ships, not much smaller than an aircraft carrier IIRC. They are actually converted supertankers.

Clearly you need a channel deep enough for the vessel, and appropriate port facilities. They tied up to the pier in NYC only a couple days after 9/11.

For the Haiti earthquake, they anchored off. I think this was due to a combination of aids to navigation (buoys etc) being displace, a lack of good port facilities and an uncertain security situation.

They have a fully capable helicopter pad. I'm not sure how big of an asset they can land, but I know Coast Guard Jayhawks can land on it (same as a Blackhawk) and I suspect bigger aircraft. They can also receive patients via small boat, or just bring them aboard from the pier.

The Mercy and Comfort are both capable of underway replenishment, where they steam next to another ship, shoot lines across and haul over supplies.

The capabilities of those two vessels are awesome and in my opinion represent some of the best things the US has to offer the world in a time of crisis.

Thank you for a credible post re our hospital ships rather than Admiral Meyer's faked outrage

I'm not sure but I bet their flight decks can support CH-47s, CH-53s, and possibly even MV-22s.

[Torsius]

The hospital ships are staffed by a skeleton crew of nurses and corpsmen. The Mercy, a floating high rise with 1,000 beds and some men and women without much to do is called “The Love Boat” by those in the know. And no, I have no firsthand experience, sadly.

I have friends who have worked on the Mercy, and I recall them describing it as a fully functional hospital on the water when it is activated. This is a good development. One of them is usually in San Diego.

[Alpha Sierra]

I wonder if the "weeks" response time is because they are trying to figure out the best way to staff the ships, and where to send it. Previously the crisis has been "there" and we are going to send resources from "here." Right now the crisis is "everywhere." So emptying the naval medical facilities in Virginia and San Diego may not be the best way to do it.

I bet you're right. And I bet medical reservists from all the four armed services with medical staffs (USA, USN, USAF, USCG) are finding out where to report for duty. Many, I think, will end up on those ships.

[farscott]

It can both anchor and dock. They are big ships, not much smaller than an aircraft carrier IIRC. They are actually converted supertankers.

Clearly you need a channel deep enough for the vessel, and appropriate port facilities. They tied up to the pier in NYC only a couple days after 9/11.

For the Haiti earthquake, they anchored off. I think this was due to a combination of aids to navigation (buoys etc) being displace, a lack of good port facilities and an uncertain security situation.

They have a fully capable helicopter pad. I'm not sure how big of an asset they can land, but I know Coast Guard Jayhawks can land on it (same as a Blackhawk) and I suspect bigger aircraft. They can also receive patients via small boat, or just bring them aboard from the pier.

The Mercy and Comfort are both capable of underway replenishment, where they steam next to another ship, shoot lines across and haul over supplies.

The capabilities of those two vessels are awesome and in my opinion represent some of the best things the US has to offer the world in a time of crisis.

Thank you for the very detailed answer. Much appreciated.