Home HEALTH Chicago’s Jail Is Top US Hot Spot as Virus Spreads Behind Bars – msnNOW

Chicago’s Jail Is Top US Hot Spot as Virus Spreads Behind Bars – msnNOW

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Chicago’s Jail Is Top US Hot Spot as Virus Spreads Behind Bars – msnNOW

At least 1,324 confirmed coronavirus cases are tied to prisons and jails across the United States, according to data tracked by The Times, including at least 32 deaths.Prisoners hung signs pleading for help in a window of the Cook County jail on Tuesday.Credit…Jim Vondruska/ReutersPublished April 8, 2020Updated April 9, 2020, 8:47 a.m. ETIt started small. On March 23, two inmates in the sprawling Cook County jail, one of the nation’s largest, were placed in isolation cells after testing positive for the coronavirus. In a little over two weeks, the virus exploded behind bars, infecting more than 350 people.The jail in Chicago is now the nation’s largest-known source of coronavirus infections, according to data compiled by The New York Times, with more confirmed cases than the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, a nursing home in Kirkland, Wash., or the cluster centered on New Rochelle, N.Y.The Cook County Sheriff’s Office, which operates the jail, said Wednesday that 238 inmates and 115 staff members had tested positive for the virus. But those figures most likely downplay the actual problem, the jail acknowledged, because the vast majority of the jail’s 4,500 inmates have not been tested.“This has been a difficult time for everyone,” said Thomas J. Dart, the county sheriff, who has decided to stay away from his wife and children because he fears spreading the virus to them.Sheriff Dart has established a quarantine area for inmates who have tested positive, and another to monitor those showing symptoms. The most serious cases — about 17 on Wednesday — have been admitted to hospitals. One jail inmate has died of what officials believe is complications from the coronavirus, although the medical examiner’s office has not yet determined an official cause of death.“I’m confident we’re going to get through this,” Sheriff Dart said, “but I could really use some more definition about how long the virus can last in an environment like this.”The ballooning outbreak at the jail, southwest of downtown Chicago, appears to confirm the fears of many health officials, who warned that America’s overcrowded and unsanitary prisons and jails would likely be a significant source of the virus’s spread.The New York Times has identified at least 1,324 confirmed coronavirus cases tied to U.S. prisons and jails, including at least 32 deaths. Those numbers are most likely a vast undercount, because some state and local agencies have not released information, and others, including the federal Bureau of Prisons, which has had 337 positive cases and eight deaths, are not testing everyone who falls ill.Concerns about the virus’s spread have prompted authorities across the country to release thousands of inmates, many of whom were awaiting trial or serving time for nonviolent crimes. But those measures have not prevented a dizzying pace of infection among a population in which social distancing is virtually impossible and access to soap and water is not guaranteed.The rapid transmission has left prisons across the nation in a heightened state of fear, tension and mistrust. Some facilities have placed inmates with fevers in solitary confinement, while some federal prisons and certain state facilities have kept prisoners locked inside their cells for more than 22 hours a day to restrict movement and possible transmission. Still others are shipping prisoners who test positive to hastily established microprisons.But the greatest concern might be in facilities where little has been done to stop the virus’s spread.“I’m worried sick. If I get this, I’m dead,” said Thomas Balsiger, 67, an inmate at the La Tuna federal prison in Texas who has a history of coronary heart disease. He said there are too few protections in place for inmates, and that guards do not always wear masks.“This is outright reckless endangerment,” he said.The Times has identified at least 41 clusters of two or more coronavirus cases centered on prisons or jails. In addition to Cook County, other large clusters include the Parnall Correctional Facility in Jackson, Mich., which is tied to more than 100 cases; the Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill, Ill., linked to more than 90 cases; and the Federal Medical Center in Butner, N.C., where at least 58 inmates and staff have tested positive.In New York City, which has borne the brunt of the U.S. outbreak, more than half of the jail population had been quarantined by Wednesday as the virus continued to spread through the jails on Rikers Island and in neighboring boroughs. The Department of Correction said 287 inmates, 441 correction staff and 75 health care workers had tested positive, and nearly 1,600 inmates had been released to try to reduce the toll.The disease has killed seven correction employees and one detainee in New York. More than 10 percent of correction officers have had to quarantine themselves.In Chicago, Sheriff Dart acknowledged that his attempts to halt the proliferation of the virus, including the release of several hundred inmates charged with or convicted of nonviolent crimes, had failed.About 86 percent of the jail’s remaining inmates are being held on charges related to violent crimes, he said. “We have very little wiggle room.”Sheriff Dart said he had also overridden longstanding rules forbidding hand sanitizer, which has a high alcohol content, among inmates and had ensured that there was sufficient soap and bleach for cleaning.Some inmates and family members say the sheriff’s efforts have not been enough. On Tuesday, in the midst of a ban on gatherings in Chicago, protesters drove around the jail, honking horns and demanding the release of their loved ones.Advocates and family members have filed a federal lawsuit seeking the early release of older Cook County inmates and those who have chronic medical conditions like respiratory illnesses and diabetes, which may make them particularly vulnerable to the virus.Similar suits are being filed across the country. On Monday, the A.C.L.U. sought the release of inmates at the Oakdale federal prison in Louisiana who are at a higher risk of serious illness or death from the virus. The Oregon Justice Resource Center filed a federal class-action lawsuit accusing the state’s Department of Corrections of ignoring the public health threat. And on Wednesday, the A.C.L.U. announced that it was seeking an emergency order to force a sheriff in Colorado to comply with social distancing for all high-risk people in the Weld County jail.Jodi Zils Gagne, an inmate at the federal prison camp in Danbury, Conn., said she had not had symptoms of the virus, but was concerned she may be vulnerable because she has multiple sclerosis. Danbury’s prison complex currently has at least 46 cases among inmates and employees.Ms. Zils Gagne, who was convicted in a fraud case, has asked for release from the prison facility, based on her medical condition. She recently wrote in an email, “I have a motion before my judge, and I am hoping she will see that I do not deserve a death sentence.”Last week, the judge denied her request.Jan Ransom and Adeel Hassan contributed.

Updated April 4, 2020

Should I wear a mask?
The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.

What should I do if I feel sick?
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.

How do I get tested?
If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested.

How does coronavirus spread?
It seems to spread very easily from person to person, especially in homes, hospitals and other confined spaces. The pathogen can be carried on tiny respiratory droplets that fall as they are coughed or sneezed out. It may also be transmitted when we touch a contaminated surface and then touch our face.

Is there a vaccine yet?
No. The first testing in humans of an experimental vaccine began in mid-March. Such rapid development of a potential vaccine is unprecedented, but even if it is proved safe and effective, it probably will not be available for 12 to18 months.

What makes this outbreak so different?
Unlike the flu, there is no known treatment or vaccine, and little is known about this particular virus so far. It seems to be more lethal than the flu, but the numbers are still uncertain. And it hits the elderly and those with underlying conditions — not just those with respiratory diseases — particularly hard.

What if somebody in my family gets sick?
If the family member doesn’t need hospitalization and can be cared for at home, you should help him or her with basic needs and monitor the symptoms, while also keeping as much distance as possible, according to guidelines issued by the C.D.C. If there’s space, the sick family member should stay in a separate room and use a separate bathroom. If masks are available, both the sick person and the caregiver should wear them when the caregiver enters the room. Make sure not to share any dishes or other household items and to regularly clean surfaces like counters, doorknobs, toilets and tables. Don’t forget to wash your hands frequently.

Should I stock up on groceries?
Plan two weeks of meals if possible. But people should not hoard food or supplies. Despite the empty shelves, the supply chain remains strong. And remember to wipe the handle of the grocery cart with a disinfecting wipe and wash your hands as soon as you get home.

Can I go to the park?
Yes, but make sure you keep six feet of distance between you and people who don’t live in your home. Even if you just hang out in a park, rather than go for a jog or a walk, getting some fresh air, and hopefully sunshine, is a good idea.

Should I pull my money from the markets?
That’s not a good idea. Even if you’re retired, having a balanced portfolio of stocks and bonds so that your money keeps up with inflation, or even grows, makes sense. But retirees may want to think about having enough cash set aside for a year’s worth of living expenses and big payments needed over the next five years.

What should I do with my 401(k)?
Watching your balance go up and down can be scary. You may be wondering if you should decrease your contributions — don’t! If your employer matches any part of your contributions, make sure you’re at least saving as much as you can to get that “free money.”

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