The 1,000-Bed Comfort Was Supposed to Aid New York. It Has 20 Patients.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/02/nyregion/ny-coronavirus-usns-comfort.html

On Thursday, though, the huge white vessel, which officials had promised would bring succor to a city on the brink, sat mostly empty, infuriating executives at local hospitals. The ship’s 1,000 beds are largely unused, its 1,200-member crew mostly idle.

Only 20 patients had been transferred to the ship, officials said, even as New York hospitals struggled to find space for the thousands infected with the coronavirus. Another Navy hospital ship, the U.S.N.S. Mercy, docked in Los Angeles, has had a total of 15 patients, officials said.

“If I’m blunt about it, it’s a joke,” said Michael Dowling, the head of Northwell Health, New York’s largest hospital system. “Everyone can say, ‘Thank you for putting up these wonderful places and opening up these cavernous halls.’ But we’re in a crisis here, we’re in a battlefield.”

But the reality has been different. A tangle of military protocols and bureaucratic hurdles has prevented the Comfort from accepting many patients at all.

On top of its strict rules preventing people infected with the virus from coming on board, the Navy is also refusing to treat a host of other conditions. Guidelines disseminated to hospitals included a list of 49 medical conditions that would exclude a patient from admittance to the ship.

Ambulances cannot take patients directly to the Comfort; they must first deliver patients to a city hospital for a lengthy evaluation — including a test for the virus — and then pick them up again for transport to the ship.

More disappointment at link...

I did not know the ships were meant to take care of everybody but victims of COVID-19.  I don't mean to be ungrateful, but I'm confused.  I thought the NY hospitals were over run with COVID-19 patients many who are complaining they can't get tested.  So the only way you get on the ship is to test negative?

I suppose the boat was finished early and they expected/hoped more tests would be distributed by now.  Still it is aggravating these boats are not being fully utilized yet.  It's embarrassing too when the world is watching us.

I hope we have a surplus of refrigerated freight trucks because summer is coming.

[Smokin Joe]

Like you said, apparently you didn't know.

The ships are there to take care of uninfected patients so the hospitals on shore can deal with the outbreak without diverting resources to keeping trauma victims and the like from getting infected.
Makes more sense than bringing the infection aboard a hospital vessel that might be used in the future for any natural disaster or to provide medical care for our troops?

Same on the other coast.

Now you know.

[LadyLiberty]

The Comfort and Mercy were NEVER meant to handle covid-19 patients.  They were sent to take on patients with other pressing medical problems and isolate them from hospitals dealing with patients the coronavirus infection.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

Like you said, apparently you didn't know.

Yes, as I said until I read the article, I didn't know.

The ships are there to take care of uninfected patients so the hospitals on shore can deal with the outbreak without diverting resources to keeping trauma victims and the like from getting infected.

Yes, that is what the article says

Now you know.

Yes now I know.  You did a great job following along, so give yourself a gold star. 

[Formerly Once-Ler]

The Comfort and Mercy were NEVER meant to handle covid-19 patients.  They were sent to take on patients with other pressing medical problems and isolate them from hospitals dealing with patients the coronavirus infection.

It is unfortunate that both ship have a staff of 1,200 with bugger-all to do isn't it.

[catfish1957]

Dims have made such a big deal of mismanagement of resources during this crisis.  Oops on them for this one.

[Smokin Joe]

It is unfortunate that both ship have a staff of 1,200 with bugger-all to do isn't it.

Yeah. Maybe if there wasn't all that stay at home social distancing they'd have more car crash and gunshot victims to work on. Trump's fault, right?

Sheesh.

[PeteS in CA]

The NYT article is missing one of the fundamental "Ws": Who, What, Where, When, Why. When fundamental information is missing, careful readers ask why. In the case of the NYT, to ask is to answer.

[truth_seeker]

The NYT article is missing one of the fundamental "Ws": Who, What, Where, When, Why. When fundamental information is missing, careful readers ask why. In the case of the NYT, to ask is to answer.

The 4 W's, absent with the NYT "paper of record."

but then there is disappointment there are not enough sick people on board, YET.

Some are apparently oblivious of the intended reason for the ships. They are in place "if needed," to prevent the local hospitals from being unable to provide care, because they are full.

What happened to quality investigative reporting?

[Right_in_Virginia]

Yeah. Maybe if there wasn't all that stay at home social distancing they'd have more car crash and gunshot victims to work on. Trump's fault, right?

Sheesh.

 

[Neverdul]

On top of its strict rules preventing people infected with the virus from coming on board, the Navy is also refusing to treat a host of other conditions. Guidelines disseminated to hospitals included a list of 49 medical conditions that would exclude a patient from admittance to the ship.

I'd be curious to know what those 49 medical conditions are. Does anyone know?

Ambulances cannot take patients directly to the Comfort; they must first deliver patients to a city hospital for a lengthy evaluation — including a test for the virus — and then pick them up again for transport to the ship.

That's not helpful.

The next day, on Friday, Ms. Baker (spokeswoman for the Navy) said the Comfort would begin screening patients for the coronavirus on site by taking their temperature and giving them a short questionnaire, to relieve the burden on hospitals.

Looks like the Navy is backtracking a bit. But why wasn't triage and testing part of the plan from day one?

[Smokin Joe]

I'd be curious to know what those 49 medical conditions are. Does anyone know?

That's not helpful.

Looks like the Navy is backtracking a bit. But why wasn't triage and testing part of the plan from day one?

I would imagine that TPTB in New York were informed of the necessary conditions, and are projecting their failure to deal, once again, with reality on the Hospital Ship. I don't know what the 49 conditions are, but the Comfort can take a cleared and stabilized trauma patient and finish the job.

A military doctor told The New York Times that the ship is fitted with narrow cot beds that are suitable for young, otherwise healthy soldiers with battlefield wounds, but may not be for older patients.

source
Hence, the ship is set up for trauma patients, not infectious diseases. Also (same source)

From the outset, the plan was for the USNS Comfort to only take patients who did not have the virus and alleviate some of the pressure on the hospital system.

A specific reason for that decision was never given but it was likely to avoid infecting the Navy or putting the physical ship in a position where it might have to be taken out of commission and disinfected

I would imagine the same conditions on board, i.e., the configuration of the ship itself, limit what conditions the Navy will allow aboard.

[PeteS in CA]

So, let's compare timelines and see whether the NYT deceptively omitted some context:

USNS Mercy:

* USNS Mercy arrived in the port of Los Angeles: March 27, 2020

* USNS Mercy began treating patients in Los Angeles: March 30, 2020


USNS Comfort:

* USNS Comfort arrived in New York Harbor: March 30, 2020

* USNS Comfort began treating its first patients: April 1,2020

* NYT article date stamp: April 2, 2020

USNS Mercy took 3 days to get moored and ready to receive patients and for local hospitals to get patients to her.

Three days after USNS Comfort arrived and one day after Comfort started treating patients, the NYT published their deceitful, context omitted, gotcha hit-piece.

[musiclady]

Never look to the NYTimes for a truthful article.

Thanks @PeteS in CA for the context.

The truth changes everything, doesn't it?

[PeteS in CA]

Never look to the NYTimes for a truthful article.

Thanks @PeteS in CA for the context.

The truth changes everything, doesn't it?

@musiclady, indeed. And I added to my post the date the USNS Comfort started treating patients. The NYT and MSM cannot be trusted to give: facts; all the relevant facts; full quotes with context; historical/chronological context (just of the top of my head).