Page 11 - Florida Sentinel 4-24-20

COVID-19
Michigan Girl, 5, Becomes State’s First Child To Die Of Coronavirus
Skylar Herbert died Sunday of a rare complication from COVID-19, the novel coronavirus. Herbert, only five years old, developed meningoencephalitis - a rare complication of the disease which caused brain swelling and a lesion on her frontal lobe.
Herbert was diagnosed with COVID-19 at Beaumont Hospital-Royal Oak after pre- viously testing positive with her pediatrician for strep throat. However, her parents said that she continued to complain about a headache and feeling like she’s coming down with a common cold that wouldn’t go away.
While waiting in the park-
SKYLAR HERBERT
ing lot of Beaumont Hospital while her father was tested for the virus, Herbert had a seizure. “(I told her) Skylar, look at your daddy, Skylar, look at your daddy,” her father, Ebbie Herbert said. “She came out of the seizure and me and her mother ran back into
the emergency room.”
The Herbert family is un-
sure how Skylar contracted the disease as she had been home for weeks. Her father’s test results were inconclusive although he was showing symptoms like shortness of breath.
The family lives in North- west Detroit, an area hard hit by the virus with over 550 cases. Skylar’s parents are both first responders. Her fa- ther, Ebbie, is a Detroit fire- fighter and her mother, LaVondria, has been a De- troit police officer for 25 years. Skylar was their only child.
Meningoencephalitis is a rare complication of the coro- navirus.
The Senate Just Passed A $480 Billion ‘Interim’ Stimulus Bill To Tide Over Small Businesses
After weeks of infighting, the Senate has passed another deal aimed at tiding over small businesses during this eco- nomic downturn.
The legislation, which law- makers are describing as an “interim” spending package before the next major stimulus bill, includes roughly $480 bil- lion in funding, $380 billion of which is dedicated to small business loan programs. It’s a much-needed boost for hun- dreds of thousands of small businesses, as the money that Congress previously allocated for forgivable loans and grants has run out. It’s worth noting, however, that some of the same loopholes that enable larger corporations — like Ruth’s Chris Steak House — to apply for these loans still re- main.
In addition to the funds for small business loans, this bill also includes $75 billion for hospitals — which are experi- encing severe revenue short- falls as they combat the coronavirus — and $25 billion to establish testing programs, money that experts say is much needed in order to build out the country’s testing capac- ity.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks at a press conference at Corona Plaza in Queens on April 14 in New York City. Scott Heins/Getty Images
The U. S. Now Has 22 Million People Out Of Work
On Thursday, in yet an- other discouraging unemploy- ment report, the U. S. Department of Labor disclosed that 5.2 million Americans filed for unemployment insur- ance last week.
More than 22 million Americans have lost their jobs since federal and state govern- ments mandated non-essential companies to shut down their businesses and ordered people to shelter in place to stop the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
It's sobering to recognize that roughly all of the jobs that were added after the Great Re- cession are now gone within a month’s timespan. People who worked in restaurants, hotels, airlines, brick-and-mortar re- tail stores and within the travel industry have all been hit hard.
The pain is widespread, en- compassing people from all
walks of life. This is worst than the Great Depression.
State unemployment of- fices continue to complain that they are overwhelmed by the volume. There’s a push to hire more workers and improve the technology. It's reasonable to believe that there are likely more people who’ve lost their jobs, but were unable to file claims due to the immense vol- ume.
If businesses are not opened, it's reasonable to con-
clude that the layoffs will con- tinue. There are questions if people who were furloughed will return to their jobs, as their companies may not have the financial wherewithal to bring them back. With the en- hanced amount of money paid in unemployment benefits, some people may postpone looking for a new job until the benefits run out or the market improves.
The positive news is that economists predict we have growing pent-up demand ready to be unleashed. Eventu- ally, businesses will reopen. The American consumer com- prises about 70% of the econ- omy. When people start leaving their homes to shop, dine out at restaurants and take much needed getaway trips, America will return to some sort of new normalcy.
Out Of The 97 Kids Nationwide That Have Tested Positive, 25 Of Them Were At
A Virginia Juvenile Detention Center
Twenty-five kids from a juvenile detention center near Richmond, Virginia, have tested pos- itive for the novel coronavirus.
Officials reported the new cases originated from Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center over the weekend. Its spread can be traced back to April 2, when two employees and a child tested positive for the virus after showing symptoms re- lated to COVID-19.
The facility, which houses around 280 chil- dren between the ages of 11 and 20, immediately isolated those who tested positive (13 have been cleared). Most of the confirmed cases showed no visible signs of illness; four have experienced more serious symptoms.
So far, 97 children nationwide have been di- agnosed with the virus, and Virginia and Louisiana make up around half of the confirmed cases.
While public places like restaurants and retail stores have closed, in no place is the threat of dis- ease more fraught now than the nation's prisons. With their cramped living conditions and a lack of resources like hand sanitizer and soap, the virus has swept through jails with frightening speed. For instance, Riker's Island in New York is at the epicenter of the prison outbreak. Yet child detention centers have not garnered the same level of response, which is concerning to health care experts around the country.
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