gkainz
Final Approach
from my friends previously aboard Grand Princess, now in quarantine at MCAS Miramar:
Dear family and friends,
As I expect you now know, Becky and I we were on the Grand Princess cruise ship and are now currently under quarantine as "guests" of the CDC (Center for Disease Control) and/or HHS (Health and Human Services) at the Marine Corps Air Station at Miramar, CA.
We have now been here for over 24 hours, arriving mid-day on Thursday, March 12. After "checking in" at one lodging facility, we were then transferred by bus to the CBQ (Combined Bachelor Quarters), which was/is to be our residence for the duration of the quarantine (14+ days).
This evening, we dialed-in to an hour+ long "conference call" with the local staff at Miramar, to which all "guests" were invited to dial-in and attend. The first ~ 20 minutes of the call were devoted to various statements by those on the base who are either charged with the responsibilities relating to our quarantine and/or with our lodging and care. The remaining ~40 minutes was a Q&A session with limited number of "guests" asking various questions.
I currently have several conclusions based on our stay so far at Miramar, the information shared on the conference call, and the various conversations Becky and I have had with other guests, both at Miramar and at other CDC quarantine locations (Travis AFB in Fairfield, CA and Dobbins AFB in Marietta, Georgia).
Those conclusions include:
The following is an attempt to clarify and summarize the fundamental issue that was and is motivating my email from yesterday.
My fundamental issue is this:
The longer that Becky and I (or any one of the other "guests") are at this facility, the higher the probability that we will catch the virus, particularly as compared to if we were elsewhere, whether it be on the Grand Princess or at home or even in the general public.
It's simply a numbers game in the context of whether quarantine protocols and basic sanitation standards are followed (and enforced)...or not.
When you have a large number (100s) of people who have known (or highly probable) potential exposure to the virus in the recent past and all are congregating and interacting repeatedly in the same areas and are almost all are sequentially touching the same items and surfaces repeatedly (doors, door-handles, coffee dispensers and related items, food distribution tables, luggage, lounge furniture, front desk counters, etc.) within short time-spans and without personal protection or intermittent sanitation, the odds of transferring the virus from person-to-person increase dramatically. That's the reality here.
Also to attempt to be clear on other trivial matters: I have little material issue with the facility (which is quite nice!) or the people staffing the facility per se. It is simply the fact that they are so apparently so over-whelmed and inexperienced with the size of the "management" problem they have been given that they are unable to execute well whatever plans they have in place to attempt to actually 'quarantine' from each other the group under their care for which they are attempting to take responsibility. (Anecdotal example of poor management: We still don't have our luggage which was delivered to and put under the control of the CDC/HHS on Tuesday...over 4 days ago... Currently still a trivial matter, but becoming less trivial by the day...)
I have little confidence that things will improve unless and until the size of the local problem (ie: number of people under local management) is significantly reduced.
Dear family and friends,
As I expect you now know, Becky and I we were on the Grand Princess cruise ship and are now currently under quarantine as "guests" of the CDC (Center for Disease Control) and/or HHS (Health and Human Services) at the Marine Corps Air Station at Miramar, CA.
We have now been here for over 24 hours, arriving mid-day on Thursday, March 12. After "checking in" at one lodging facility, we were then transferred by bus to the CBQ (Combined Bachelor Quarters), which was/is to be our residence for the duration of the quarantine (14+ days).
This evening, we dialed-in to an hour+ long "conference call" with the local staff at Miramar, to which all "guests" were invited to dial-in and attend. The first ~ 20 minutes of the call were devoted to various statements by those on the base who are either charged with the responsibilities relating to our quarantine and/or with our lodging and care. The remaining ~40 minutes was a Q&A session with limited number of "guests" asking various questions.
I currently have several conclusions based on our stay so far at Miramar, the information shared on the conference call, and the various conversations Becky and I have had with other guests, both at Miramar and at other CDC quarantine locations (Travis AFB in Fairfield, CA and Dobbins AFB in Marietta, Georgia).
Those conclusions include:
- The lodging here at the CBQ in Miramar is much better than anticipated (and MUCH better than the Marine Barracks at Quantico, VA
). That's the good news.
- The staff charged with the Quarantine and Lodging/Care have the desire and intent to help, but (for whatever the reasons...some of which may be "valid") they are significantly over-whelmed, dis-organized, and unable to accomplish anything close to their stated / intended objectives...either in terms of the enforcement of CDC quarantine & common sense health protocols or simple group lodging tasks. The REALITY is not even close to their INTENT.
- For example, one key stated protocol from prior to day one and reinforced on day one is to "stay in your rooms for at least 48 hours, and if necessary to leave your room, have your mask on, keep appropriate "social distances", and "don't congregate in large groups". (This was enforced religiously on the Grand Princess).
To help facilitate that protocol, we received documents when we arrived that we would receive meals 3-times per day in our rooms (as we did for several days while on the Grand Princess) and were given the specific intended times of delivery. It was also documented that we should expect to have our health monitored for symptoms daily.
- Following our initial evening meal on Thursday (delivered to our rooms)...beginning on Friday morning (today apparently and going forward), all guests are now essentially forced to gather in large groups of well over 100 people in the lobby 3 times per day, standing in very typical long "food-lines" and in crowded 'groups' (such as the space allows) to pick-up our boxed meals, rolls, and drinks...from staff who are not trained and/or proficient in serving food in a 'low-exposure' manner.
- For example, one key stated protocol from prior to day one and reinforced on day one is to "stay in your rooms for at least 48 hours, and if necessary to leave your room, have your mask on, keep appropriate "social distances", and "don't congregate in large groups". (This was enforced religiously on the Grand Princess).
- During tonight's conference call, during the Q&A session there were several other guests who confirmed their agreement with the above specific reality based experiences. Some guests indicated they were very concerned about coming out of their rooms to get their meals due to this risk of further exposure.
- Since arrival at this CBQ facility we have NOT been tested directly for COVID-19 or even indirectly (via infra-red thermometer) for symptoms. Neither has anyone else that we are aware in our "group" (of several hundred). On the conference call tonight and in other conversations with the CDC/HHS staff at the front desk of the CBQ, we were led to believe that we would NOT be pro-actively tested for COVID-19...and that we should expect to be here for a minimum of 14 days...perhaps without ever being directly tested.
- It was also noted by a CDC spokesman on the call that even if we were to be given a COVID-19 test and "passed" as negative, that would not confirm that we don't have the virus and thus we would not be released prior to 14+days. (One logical conclusion from that is that the COVID-19 tests are apparently not valid in the negative.)
- Yet on the conference call, it was communicated that at least 3 guests at Miramar have now been confirmed to have COVID-19 and thus have been separated from our group. So, it is apparent that the COVID-19 tests are deemed valid in the positive but not in the negative. It would seem to me that given this, it would be prudent to quickly test everyone and then at least separate those who test positive from the rest of the group who test negative.
- SO, WE ARE PART OF A RELATIVELY SMALL GROUP OF ~ 2000 UNITED STATES CITIZENS WHO HAVE APPARENTLY BEEN DEEMED TO BE A LARGE ENOUGH THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH AS TO BE QUARANTINED FOR AT LEAST 6 DAYS ON THE GRAND PRINCESS PLUS A PLANNED ADDITION 14 DAYS AT VARIOUS MILITARY FACILITIES... BUT NOT A HIGH ENOUGH A RISK TO QUARANTINE US FROM EACH OTHER OR TO GIVE US COVID-19 TESTS. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?!
- In any case (and sorry for the rambling) due to the above, it is crystal clear to me THAT BECKY and I would be much less likely to contract the virus if we were transported to Colorado to either be placed in our own home for "self-quarantine" or at least moved to a smaller facility with a staff better equipped and organized to follow their own protocols. WE DO NOT NOW HAVE and PRIOR TO OUR DEPARTURE ON THE GRAND PRINCESS ON FEBRUARY 21, 2020, NEVER HAVE HAD ANY OF THE STATED SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19.
- Early during tonight's conference call and supported by the documentation we received when we arrived, we were told specifically that we would be under 'quarantine' at Miramar for at least 14 days. However, later during the conference call, there were several "guests" who pointed out during the Q&A session that they had been contacted by their state's health departments and would be leaving Miramar and transported to their state within the next day or two for "self-quarantine". Following this information being mentioned by other guests 2 or 3 times on the conference call, the CDC representative on the call indicated that such a 'transfer of custody' (my term) from the CDC at Miramar to local State Health Departments (or similar) had to be initiated by a given state's health authorities to / through CDC in Washington, DC. He also implied (at least in my interpretation) that he would support such a transfer, as long as the proper paperwork were generated to formally transfer custody of the "guest" and responsibility for the quarantine from CDC to the State.
- From the information above and our conversations with quite a few other guests, there are currently at least 4 states (Oklahoma, Iowa, South Carolina, and Washington) who have put into place the plans to transport their citizens back to their home states...and to do so in the next 1-2 days. I fully expect that there will be more...and I pray that Colorado will be one of them.
The following is an attempt to clarify and summarize the fundamental issue that was and is motivating my email from yesterday.
My fundamental issue is this:
The longer that Becky and I (or any one of the other "guests") are at this facility, the higher the probability that we will catch the virus, particularly as compared to if we were elsewhere, whether it be on the Grand Princess or at home or even in the general public.
It's simply a numbers game in the context of whether quarantine protocols and basic sanitation standards are followed (and enforced)...or not.
When you have a large number (100s) of people who have known (or highly probable) potential exposure to the virus in the recent past and all are congregating and interacting repeatedly in the same areas and are almost all are sequentially touching the same items and surfaces repeatedly (doors, door-handles, coffee dispensers and related items, food distribution tables, luggage, lounge furniture, front desk counters, etc.) within short time-spans and without personal protection or intermittent sanitation, the odds of transferring the virus from person-to-person increase dramatically. That's the reality here.
Also to attempt to be clear on other trivial matters: I have little material issue with the facility (which is quite nice!) or the people staffing the facility per se. It is simply the fact that they are so apparently so over-whelmed and inexperienced with the size of the "management" problem they have been given that they are unable to execute well whatever plans they have in place to attempt to actually 'quarantine' from each other the group under their care for which they are attempting to take responsibility. (Anecdotal example of poor management: We still don't have our luggage which was delivered to and put under the control of the CDC/HHS on Tuesday...over 4 days ago... Currently still a trivial matter, but becoming less trivial by the day...)
I have little confidence that things will improve unless and until the size of the local problem (ie: number of people under local management) is significantly reduced.
