COVID-19 (f/k/a "the Coronavirus")

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I'm beginning to think that this fall is going to be a disaster.  People in the north are going to be moving back indoors, and I think we are going to see numerous outbreaks tied to schools and higher education institutions.  And we are really doing nothing to prevent it. 

[rocky_warrior]

Where are deaths increasing again? see a pretty consistent pattern going down here

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

Sorry, I wasn't being clear.  Part of my sentiment was the contents of a phone call yesterday (told to me 2nd hand) with health care executives around the country along with CDC/Public Health.  The CDC was basically saying deaths are projected to rise in the next 2 weeks, and healthcare folks from Florida, Arizona and Texas were basically 1) yelling at them asking why the concern isn't being broadcast nationwide and 2) That their hospitals are pretty full and deaths are increasing.

So, I agree, the charts look decent right now.  Sadly, I think you'll see deaths increasing in the next month.

edit:  And to back that up, clicking on FL, AZ, TX in the link you shared, scrolling down to the bottom and using 7-day avg deaths, pretty clear it's increasing in those places:
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/usa/florida/
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/usa/arizona/
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/usa/texas/

[Jockey]

I'm beginning to think that this fall is going to be a disaster.  People in the north are going to be moving back indoors, and I think we are going to see numerous outbreaks tied to schools and higher education institutions.  And we are really doing nothing to prevent it.

Masks are mocked. Testing is still unavailable to many, there are still shortages of PPE, White House policy is now “live with it”. Schools are being ordered open in hot spots for Covid. We’re being told that Covid is 99% harmless.

Yeah, There’s a slight chance Fall could get bad. 

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Sorry, I wasn't being clear.  Part of my sentiment was the contents of a phone call yesterday (told to me 2nd hand) with health care executives around the country along with CDC/Public Health.  The CDC was basically saying deaths are projected to rise in the next 2 weeks, and healthcare folks from Florida, Arizona and Texas were basically 1) yelling at them asking why the concern isn't being broadcast nationwide and 2) That their hospitals are pretty full and deaths are increasing.

So, I agree, the charts look decent right now.  Sadly, I think you'll see deaths increasing in the next month.

edit:  And to back that up, clicking on FL, AZ, TX in the link you shared, scrolling down to the bottom and using 7-day avg deaths, pretty clear it's increasing in those places:
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/usa/florida/
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/usa/arizona/
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/usa/texas/

This is why I don’t get the ‘live with it’ tacking this week by the admin.  Do they not understand this or are they just trying to get ahead of it.  Either way this isn’t going away anytime soon.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

This is why I don’t get the ‘live with it’ tacking this week by the admin.  Do they not understand this or are they just trying to get ahead of it.  Either way this isn’t going away anytime soon.

The administration is trying to get it out of the news cycle by focusing on a law and order type of message.  That, combined with an economy that they think will improve between now and November, is their best path to win in their opinion.

If they get behind a "shut it back down" message, it will be an admission that their "LIBERATE" message was a mistake.  And that never happens with this crew.

[tower912]

'Live with it' is completely consistent with this administration.   

[Jockey]

This is why I don’t get the ‘live with it’ tacking this week by the admin.  Do they not understand this or are they just trying to get ahead of it.  Either way this isn’t going away anytime soon.

I’m perplexed by your statement. How do you not get it? It is 100% consistent with everything potus has done since late January. He simply doesn’t care. His only concern is (and has always been) how the virus affects him.

And yes, I admit that I am probably taking your statement too seriously as you are consistently one of rational voices here. But there is no endgame for trump. Everything is strictly whatever pops into his head.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Like it or not there are people around the President that want him to stay in power and also believe the ‘live with it’ strategy is appropriate.  So you can dismiss the admins calculation or try to figure it out.

I personally think it’s a losing strategy now that we’ve proven that rush to reopen caused multiple epidemics—it’s inevitable that deaths will follow if uncontrolled. 

[JWags85]

Purely a hypothetical exercise, but all else equal, except Texas and Florida had shutdown for the same period as most of the rest of the country, and Arizona stayed closed through June, like most other places instead of a premature reopening, where do you think we’d be nationally in regards to perception and spread?

[tower912]

Masks required on a national level since April 1 and we would be much like most of the rest of the world.   Mostly done, keeping a sharp eyed out for hot spots.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Purely a hypothetical exercise, but all else equal, except Texas and Florida had shutdown for the same period as most of the rest of the country, and Arizona stayed closed through June, like most other places instead of a premature reopening, where do you think we’d be nationally in regards to perception and spread?

With our without mask requirements?

[Jockey]

Masks required on a national level since April 1 and we would be much like most of the rest of the world.   Mostly done, keeping a sharp eyed out for hot spots.

Agree, although I would add more (and more accurate) testing to the equation.

[JWags85]

With our without mask requirements?

Without. All else as equal.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Purely a hypothetical exercise, but all else equal, except Texas and Florida had shutdown for the same period as most of the rest of the country, and Arizona stayed closed through June, like most other places instead of a premature reopening, where do you think we’d be nationally in regards to perception and spread?

All else equal, we would be rising in cases and hospitalizations but not as fast as we are now.  Not only masks, but we need policies and messaging that make us come together during these times.  That's not happening.

[GooooMarquette]

Shocking....

Coronavirus Live Updates: Brazil’s President Tests Positive After Dismissing Precautions

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/07/world/coronavirus-updates.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

[GooooMarquette]

All else equal, we would be rising in cases and hospitalizations but not as fast as we are now.  Not only masks, but we need policies and messaging that make us come together during these times.  That's not happening.

Yep. It's all a matter of degree. There would be some spread no matter what we do. The key is trying to mitigate the spread in an effort to save lives and avoid overwhelming the healthcare infrastructure. And once things began to reopen, the only reliable way to mitigate the spread was through strict social distancing and masks (and consistent messaging about them from all of our leaders).

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Yep. It's all a matter of degree. There would be some spread no matter what we do. The key is trying to mitigate the spread in an effort to save lives and avoid overwhelming the healthcare infrastructure. And once things began to reopen, the only reliable way to mitigate the spread was through strict social distancing and masks (and consistent messaging about them from all of our leaders).

I would amend this slightly in that the goal is to not have large amounts uncontrolled/un-monitored spread.  If we got got the healthcare infrastructure in place quickly, we may have been able to open up EARLIER in many places. 

[GooooMarquette]

I would amend this slightly in that the goal is to not have large amounts uncontrolled/un-monitored spread.  If we got got the healthcare infrastructure in place quickly, we may have been able to open up EARLIER in many places.

I'm pretty sure we're in the same place - I just used the concept of mitigating spread as shorthand for preventing large amounts of uncontrolled/un-monitored spread.

I also agree about possibly having been able to open earlier if we had done a better job of ramping up the healthcare infrastructure. Even at this late date, we still aren't where we should be in terms of testing and contact tracing capabilities. Incredibly frustrating.

[Hards Alumni]

https://www.cityofmadison.com/news/public-health-madison-dane-county-releases-new-orders-requiring-face-coverings

About damn time.

[pbiflyer]

Trump administration begins formal withdrawal from World Health Organization

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/07/politics/us-withdrawing-world-trade-organization/index.html


Congress received notification that POTUS officially withdrew the U.S. from the ⁦‪@WHO⁩in the midst of a pandemic.

[wadesworld]

https://mobile.twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/633695559900073984

This didn’t age well.

[GooooMarquette]

https://mobile.twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/633695559900073984

This didn’t age well.

Apparently, not even "good" immigrants are good enough anymore. No scientific evidence of them posing a risk, no consideration of them as human beings...just pure, impulsive anger. Mind-boggling, but regrettably not surprising.

[Jockey]

Trump administration begins formal withdrawal from World Health Organization

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/07/politics/us-withdrawing-world-trade-organization/index.html


Congress received notification that POTUS officially withdrew the U.S. from the ⁦‪@WHO⁩in the midst of a pandemic.

Not a problem. Under bylaws of WHO, countries must give one-year notice to leave. The withdrawal will not happen.

[Jockey]

Message from the WH today?

You all who want to make sure your kids are safe going back to school are the problem Schools must open and CDC and the scientists are idiots who need to butt out.

A slight bit of sarcasm, but that is really what they said today.

[GooooMarquette]

Message from the WH today?

You all who want to make sure your kids are safe going back to school are the problem Schools must open and CDC and the scientists are idiots who need to butt out.

A slight bit of sarcasm, but that is really what they said today.

That is truly mind-boggling, but not the least bit surprising.

Hopefully, schools will have the common sense to listen to what the scientists are really saying - using guidance already released, and whatever comes out in the scientific literature in the coming weeks - and disregard whatever watered down nonsense Pence comes up with.

If Redfield had a shred of self-respect, he would step down before putting forth a plan he knows won't be strong enough.