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

[cathy63]

Yes. The new reporting methodology
has resulted in more than the usual distortion in the daily figures.

Meanwhile new hospitalizations continued to decline in greater Houston. Total Covid patients hospitalized declined week over week by 16 percent.

https://www.tmc.edu/coronavirus-updates/tmc-daily-new-covid-19-hospitalizations/

Meanwhile in Dallas county, new cases fell below 1000 for three straight days, according to the Dallas Morning News.

According to the COVID Tracking Project: https://covidtracking.com/data

Starting July 23, Texas has reported that its current hospitalization and ICU numbers are incomplete due to its transition to the HHS reporting system. We carried over hospitalization figures until July 28. We will backfill the complete numbers for July 23 - July 28 when reporting is back at 100%.

Lots of states are reporting that their hospitalization numbers are currently inaccurate. I think the Texas numbers are improving, but it might not be by as much as the data shows right now.

 

[Montecfo]

Lots of states are reporting that their hospitalization numbers are currently inaccurate. I think the Texas numbers are improving, but it might not be by as much as the data shows right now.

TMC is an original source of hospitalization rates, so I expect they are counting patients and beds accurately for their system. The declining trend goes back over two weeks.

I'm less sure about Dallas county. I relied on the Dallas Morning News for that.

 

[RAE]

Yes the track is getting better, but still some uncertainty until it passes through Hispaniola.
Additionally, the tropical force winds extend out over 400 miles.

Yeah, it's big. Canadian and Euro models still showing a track further to the west than the other models, at this point anyway. Could go up through the center of the state, or could skirt the east coast, nobody knows yet. Intensity is still a bit of a question mark also. Our house is in west-central Florida, so I have been watching this closely.

 

[audreyh1]

The reported new deaths number has really been high in Texas the past few days. I thought they had caught up earlier in the week, but the last few days have had numbers well over 200, and some closer to 300.

Today 295 new fatalities were reported, and 8,839 new cases.

 

[Dtail]

New daily death record for Florida today with 256 deaths.
I do predict the new case rate will decline this weekend though......

 

[MichaelB]

Unfortunately, not testing does not lead to fewer cases. Infections and fatalities will continue at their current high level despite the coming storm.

 

[audreyh1]

It will be interesting to see the catch up.

TX is not reporting info on Sunday 8/2 due to a systems upgrade, so I guess we’ll get double numbers on Monday.

 

[Birdie Num Nums]

Looks like Georgia is getting ready to move into the top five, as it will probably pass New Jersey in total case count by the end of the week. Pretty shocking though, as it has 1/3 population of TX and 1/2 the population of FL.

From a tweet I just saw: "NEW from CDC: COVID19 outbreak at an overnight camp in Georgia infects *at least* 260 campers & staff. -51% of positives 6-10yo -44% 11-17 yo -Camp required a test <12 days before arriving & attempted "pods" -Masks required for staff but NOT campers"

Source (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6931e1.htm?s_cid=mm6931e1_w

 

[Dtail]

Unfortunately, not testing does not lead to fewer cases. Infections and fatalities will continue at their current high level despite the coming storm.

Newer REPORTED cases......

 

[donheff]

From a tweet I just saw: "NEW from CDC: COVID19 outbreak at an overnight camp in Georgia infects *at least* 260 campers & staff. -51% of positives 6-10yo -44% 11-17 yo -Camp required a test <12 days before arriving & attempted "pods" -Masks required for staff but NOT campers"

Source (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6931e1.htm?s_cid=mm6931e1_w

Pretty scary. The camp was open for four days. It was a wildfire.

 

[audreyh1]

From a tweet I just saw: "NEW from CDC: COVID19 outbreak at an overnight camp in Georgia infects *at least* 260 campers & staff. -51% of positives 6-10yo -44% 11-17 yo -Camp required a test <12 days before arriving & attempted "pods" -Masks required for staff but NOT campers"

Source (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6931e1.htm?s_cid=mm6931e1_w

Crazy! Although this occurred in mid June and would be in past numbers.

Gosh, doesn’t make any large gathering involving children and adults look safe.

 

[Birdie Num Nums]

...Gosh, doesn’t make any large gathering involving children and adults look safe.

Now, extrapolate this to schools.

 

[harllee]

From a tweet I just saw: "NEW from CDC: COVID19 outbreak at an overnight camp in Georgia infects *at least* 260 campers & staff. -51% of positives 6-10yo -44% 11-17 yo -Camp required a test <12 days before arriving & attempted "pods" -Masks required for staff but NOT campers"

Source (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6931e1.htm?s_cid=mm6931e1_w

74% of the infected campers/staff had symptoms (temperature, headaches, etc). I thought children were not suppose to get sick from Covid.

 

[brewer12345]

From a tweet I just saw: "NEW from CDC: COVID19 outbreak at an overnight camp in Georgia infects *at least* 260 campers & staff. -51% of positives 6-10yo -44% 11-17 yo -Camp required a test <12 days before arriving & attempted "pods" -Masks required for staff but NOT campers"

Source (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6931e1.htm?s_cid=mm6931e1_w

Clearly this belongs in the "good news" thread. After all, 49% of 6-10 YO didn't test positive. Good news!!!

 

[JoeWras]

74% of the infected campers/staff had symptoms (temperature, headaches, etc). I thought children were not suppose to get sick from Covid.

Exactly! Just like many of us were dubious about the m*sk findings ("they don't help") last March.

Common sense makes us weary of "snotty nosed kids," and for good reason.

 

[harllee]

Exactly! Just like many of us were dubious about the m*sk findings ("they don't help") last March.

Common sense makes us weary of "snotty nosed kids," and for good reason.

In my 20s I taught 6th graders for a few years--I was constantly sick even though I was young and healthy--colds, flu, even had scarlet fever. Heaven help the poor teachers when school opens up. I wonder how many will die.

 

[audreyh1]

Now, extrapolate this to schools.

I was purposefully not stating the obvious!

 

[Montecfo]

Pretty scary. The camp was open for four days. It was a wildfire.

According to reports, campers were not required to mask or follow protocols. Very unwise but no shock that disease was spread.

 

[GTFan]

From a tweet I just saw: "NEW from CDC: COVID19 outbreak at an overnight camp in Georgia infects *at least* 260 campers & staff. -51% of positives 6-10yo -44% 11-17 yo -Camp required a test <12 days before arriving & attempted "pods" -Masks required for staff but NOT campers"

Source (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6931e1.htm?s_cid=mm6931e1_w

And yet some of our metro school systems are opening with kids onsite on Monday. Masks optional. *shudder*

I get the dilemma here, kids need to learn and school is better for most. But the tradeoff is really bad. Must REALLY suck to be a teacher now, especially an older one.

 

[Rianne]

And yet some of our metro school systems are opening with kids onsite on Monday. Masks optional. *shudder*

Right! Kids don't sneeze loud on purpose, laugh like crazy, sing, yell, naaaa!
Kids are quiet, well mannered little students who read and obey.

 

[gayl]

And when they aren't

Right! Kids don't sneeze loud on purpose, laugh like crazy, sing, yell, naaaa!
Kids are quiet, well mannered little students who read and obey.

They are sitting quietly in their seats morning until school gets out

Homeschool & hire a tutor for more difficult subjects / PODs for group interaction

 

[audreyh1]

Poor Dr. Varon in Houston, who has been quite successful treating Covid patients since April, is now in the situation where they are overwhelmed and may have to start deciding whom to treat. One problem is that patients are arriving very, very sick. But he’s also fed up with people not taking it seriously and not listening to public health recommendations.

COVID crisis in Texas: An 'overwhelming' battle to save lives:

Varon, 58, is overseeing the hospital's unit dedicated to COVID-19 patients, where he said he tends to an average of 40 people a day. He said he signed more death certificates in the last week than at any point in his career.

https://www.yahoo.com/gma/covid-cri...ave-lives-120209466--abc-news-topstories.html

From 7/31: ‘COVID Hunter’ doctor says he’s fighting 2 battles in Texas: Coronavirus and stupidity

"My motto has been, you know, at the present time, I'm pretty much fighting two wars: a war against COVID and a war against stupidity. And the problem is that the first one I have some hope about winning. But the second one is becoming more and more difficult to treat. Why do I say that? Because people are not listening. Whether it's backed up by science or just plain old common sense, people are not listening throughout the country," Varon said.
......
“And what is probably the most disappointing thing, the thing that annoys me the most, is that we keep on doing our best to save all these people, and then you get another batch of people that are doing exactly the opposite of what you are telling them [-]not[/-] to do.”

Regardless of Varon’s optimism in the procedure he uses at UMMC, the stress weighs on him.

“I’m afraid that at some point in time I’m going to have to make some very serious decisions,” he said to The Atlantic in a photo essay documenting the work done by the doctor and his staff. “I’m starting to get the idea that I cannot save everybody.”

https://www.star-telegram.com/news/nation-world/national/article244636567.html

This is from the end of June: Texas doctor: Patients are near death, coming in too late. https://www.cnn.com/videos/health/2...er-than-start-of-pandemic-hill-newday-vpx.cnn

This whole situation is so hard on the medical caregivers who put themselves at risk to treat Covid patients every day.

For completeness I add a link to their protocol which had been used successfully to treat sepsis. https://www.click2houston.com/healt...n-hopes-of-saving-lives-of-covid-19-patients/

 

[Ronstar]

This is from the end of June: Texas doctor: Patients are near death, coming in too late. https://www.cnn.com/videos/health/2...er-than-start-of-pandemic-hill-newday-vpx.cnn

And to think that our county health department posted stats and a statement to stay home if you're sick. Don't go to the hospital er. Call your dr. This went on for a few months.


Problem is that it is too late once you become very sick.

 

[audreyh1]

Yes, early on people were told only go to the hospital if you have difficulty breathing, but that was before “Happy Hypoxia” was understood, and that with Covid you could have dangerously low blood oxygen without obvious breathing difficulty.

But hopefully people already have been talking with their doctor. But I guess many don’t even have doctors to talk to.

 

[RAE]

And to think that our county health department posted stats and a statement to stay home if you're sick. Don't go to the hospital er. Call your dr. This went on for a few months.


Problem is that it is too late once you become very sick.

Yep, hospitals near where we were this Spring were adamant that people who showed viral symptoms should STAY HOME and self-treat. This did not change until sometime in late April or early May, as I recall.