Wow, it’s getting really scary in Texas - and everywhere else!

[Lsbcal]

Just looking at the US mapping between Texas and California, they aren't all that different when looked at on a per capita basis:

Texas

California

The light yellow areas are something like 1 in 500 people with the virus and the orange is worse with something like 1 in 100 with the virus.

To see the details for your area go to https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html
Then set this the map to "per capita".

FWIW, our county in Northern California is at 1 in 498. But trending worse.
LA county is at 1 in 110. Houston is at 1 in 170.

 

[timo2]

I'm surprised that they don't report good news, which is the number of death declining.
At least, the news media should report all numbers.

I have seen that story, about cases being up while deaths are down and how it might correspond to the age of people with the new cases. Yesterday, on 2 or 3 different networks.

 

[Freedom56]

I have seen that story, about cases being up while deaths are down and how it might correspond to the age of people with the new cases. Yesterday, on 2 or 3 different networks.

Covid-19 doesn't kill people overnight. We will most likely see increasing deaths in a few weeks as some of the new hospital admissions don't make it.

 

[audreyh1]

I have seen that story, about cases being up while deaths are down and how it might correspond to the age of people with the new cases. Yesterday, on 2 or 3 different networks.

I think the death rate will continue to go down. But with the number of cases increasing so quickly, and with hospitals getting close to overrun already, and with not enough time yet to have the deaths due to the large increase occur, the absolute numbers a month from now will probably look very bad, even at a lower rate.

 

[Eastbayboy]

Ditto that ! People are done with covid, the problem is, covid isn't done with people.

[emoji1303] I couldn’t have said it better!

 

[RobbieB]

When the people in the highest levels of government don't need no stinking masks neither does anyone else.

They set an example for the whole country!

 

[Eastbayboy]

Wow!!!!

I live in the east bay and much of of everyone is wearing masks and using the social distancing as we walk the isles to shop for groceries. I can see why in the counties with the flattening of the curve that it is paying off. However, the counties are opening up and we will see if there is a spike in the Bay Area.

In our Costco, there is a guy who walks around with a bull horn telling people to social distance themselves. So if you don’t want to yelled at.... I found this woman in the isle with an interesting shield.

 

[tmm99]

Did you see the others? Like the one who said she couldn't eat and play saxophone with a mask on.

I've just watched one other person for a very short time. (A woman in her mid-40s or 50s.) It's actually too distressing to hear people like that talk. I would lose faith in humanity...

 

[brewer12345]

I've just watched one other person for a very short time. (A woman in her mid-40s or 50s.) It's actually too distressing to hear people like that talk. I would lose faith in humanity...

There is a reason my ideal retreat has clear lines of fire with range markers every hundred yards to the property line.

 

[Freedom56]

I've just watched one other person for a very short time. (A woman in her mid-40s or 50s.) It's actually too distressing to hear people like that talk. I would lose faith in humanity...

Here is a collection to watch. I almost lost faith in humanity if not for the last woman in this video. But she was one against many loud voices.

 

[Ronstar]

I live in the east bay and much of of everyone is wearing masks and using the social distancing as we walk the isles to shop for groceries. I can see why in the counties with the flattening of the curve that it is paying off. However, the counties are opening up and we will see if there is a spike in the Bay Area.

In our Costco, there is a guy who walks around with a bull horn telling people to social distance themselves. So if you don’t want to yelled at.... I found this woman in the isle with an interesting shield.

Looks like Maxwell Smart's cone of silence - yet mobile.

 

[Dtail]

Looks like Maxwell Smart's cone of silence - yet mobile.

Yeah but that never worked.

 

[Jamie1101]

The numbers outside of the COVID deaths

It seems the death numbers are the only game players in reporting on COVID 19. People seem to think that if you survive a bout with COVID your body just returns back to "normal." Anything but.... https://www.vox.com/2020/5/8/212518...JoXkrB3bV33qKKW1dpI56e3ZcZEq2c-fE0OQRqJrspFhg

 

[CaptTom]

Looks like Maxwell Smart's cone of silence - yet mobile.

Yeah but that never worked.

You guys beat me to it. Those were my exact two thoughts when I saw that picture!

 

[donheff]

I have seen that story, about cases being up while deaths are down and how it might correspond to the age of people with the new cases. Yesterday, on 2 or 3 different networks.

That story has been all over the news. I'm not sure why the excitement. As cases skew younger deaths are bound to go down. The other story that got lots of attention was the CDC reporting data that shows the actual infection rate is likely 10x (or possibly far more) that the tested rate. But the science community has been saying that since the early days. All that has changed is we now have better data to support that estimate. Based on the 10 x infection rate the media are also speculating that the death rate may be far lower than the current rate of deaths per confirmed infection which is around 5%. But, again, this is not really new. The science community was estimating an order of magnitude lower as the real rate months ago. As I recall estimates talked of .5% as the more likely real mortality rate which would be where the new CDC 10 x estimate would put us.

 

[clobber]

After how many ever months of dealing with this, the Texas Governor just said: "If I could go back and redo anything, I would slow down the re-opening of bars, [a] bar setting, in reality, just doesn't work with a pandemic."

There is absolutely no hope for Texas right now. An inability or willingness to even understand even the most basic aspects of the pandemic.

 

[Beststash]

There is absolutely no hope for Texas right now. An inability or willingness to even understand even the most basic aspects of the pandemic.

There has become a rebellious attitude here (Texas) by many concerning mask wearing. I think the biggest mistakes made have been the mixed messages that have come from mostly the federal and state leadership. It just gives people an excuse to take a political stand.

IMO, it would be much safer and more congenial to deal with this as a medical issue and leave the politics out of it but that doesn't seem to be possible these days.

 

[MichaelB]

I think the death rate will continue to go down. But with the number of cases increasing so quickly, and with hospitals getting close to overrun already, and with not enough time yet to have the deaths due to the large increase occur, the absolute numbers a month from now will probably look very bad, even at a lower rate.

This is likely. It’s too bad we don’t have any real insight into other health effects resulting from COVID. There have been reports of lung and heart damage and Scott Gottleib reported a surprising increase in hospitalization of younger healthier people in the current Florida numbers.

The lower fatality rate and absence of information regarding other consequences may be one of the factors leading people to downplay the general risk.

 

[Rianne]

It seems the death numbers are the only game players in reporting on COVID 19. People seem to think that if you survive a bout with COVID your body just returns back to "normal." Anything but.... https://www.vox.com/2020/5/8/212518...JoXkrB3bV33qKKW1dpI56e3ZcZEq2c-fE0OQRqJrspFhg

Yes, so much focus is on death. Death is a given for every living thing, now or later. This article highlights what frightens me the most about COVID-19.

 

[audreyh1]

The lower fatality rate and absence of information regarding other consequences may be one of the factors leading people to downplay the general risk.

Probably. Younger people are definitely being hospitalized. But that could also mean that far more young people are infected than assumed.

But yes, the message of lasting long term effects aren't getting to the young folks.

 

[24601NoMore]

I don't recall ever reading or hearing any experts claiming it would die down in the summer. What I heard is that they hoped it would behave like the flu and die down, but that didn't they know since it is a brand new virus. Now we all know.

I hang out on a conservative forum where most of the posters absolutely INSISTED that it would all but "go away" in the Summer months because "sunlight kills the virus".

They still to this day insist that's true, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary (obviously Texas, California, Arizona, ...)

 

[W2R]

There has become a rebellious attitude here (Texas) by many concerning mask wearing. [...]

The lower fatality rate and absence of information regarding other consequences may be one of the factors leading people to downplay the general risk.

To me, it's not what people think about risk; it's what they DO, that is the issue IMO. They can think whatever they want and that is fine with me.

A lot of people feel that the fears of a second wave are over-hyped. I kind of wonder about that too, but I am not betting my life on it! No way. Right now, engaging in risky behavior and not wearing a mask is doing exactly that so I modify my behavior accordingly.

Not only that, but doing such risky stuff around other people is just incredibly rude. My mother always taught me that the reason we use good manners is to make others feel comfortable around us. Well, how comfortable do others feel if you aren't wearing a mask and they think you are spreading the virus to them? Not very, and that is why it is so rude.

To me, the question is NOT whether there is a real risk, but why people would be so incredibly inconsiderate of others who are worried about the virus. Not wearing a mask around such people at this stage of the pandemic is right up there with pooping on the sidewalk in front of them, IMO. These are not behaviors I would condone in a civilized society.

There.... I had my say. Just had to get that out.

 

[24601NoMore]

Ditto that ! People are done with covid, the problem is, covid isn't done with people.

Very true and very frustrating. DW and I have been treating this very seriously since day one including wearing our masks everywhere we go (inside AND out - amazing how few people wear their masks outdoors) and pretty much staying home probably 95+% of the time.

Our parks, trails and other recreational areas here in SE MI are SLAMMED. We've tried going to get some fresh air a few times and can't believe the number of people..it's easily 3X "normal". NO-ONE (other than us) wearing masks..congregating close together..acting like the virus is long gone (it's not). I even have family members asking if we're going to join them over the fourth of July for the annual family trip to Port Austin, where the annual parade and fireworks with thousands of people is still planned to happen. Um, not just "no", but HELL, NO!! WTF is wrong with these people?

Just yesterday, there was a HUGE boat party (tens of thousands of people that go out to a local island and party hard) called the "Jobbie Nooner". It's a tradition here and a huge mosh pit of people all within inches of each other. Looked at the pics in the local news..yeah, ZERO masks.

We are so screwed.

 

[Sunset]

I hang out on a conservative forum where most of the posters absolutely INSISTED that it would all but "go away" in the Summer months because "sunlight kills the virus".

They still to this day insist that's true, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary (obviously Texas, California, Arizona, ...)

Maybe you could suggest to them, every time they are outside, to close their eyes, face the sun and open their mouth for 10 minutes to let the sunshine clean them.

It would be really funny to see the odd person standing on a sidewalk, mouth agape at the sun

 

[braumeister]

Makes me think of the old tale that during a rainstorm, turkeys will stare up at the sky with their beaks hanging open, transfixed, until they drown.