Coronavirus Thread

Well, my county has more active cases and more COVID deaths than the rest of the state combined, so there.

EDIT: We have more active cases than the entire state of Indiana, by the way.
 
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Dave

Staff member
DJ-ed a wedding tonight. I kept my mask on the whole time even though there were probably only about 5 other people there doing the same. I kept my distance and didn't share my mic with anyone. I had a "Covid mic" just for the guests and wedding party to use. They weren't touching mine.
 
To the surprise of no one, the CDC just filed a report that excess deaths in the US are up by 300,000 people compared to a typical year. It also alludes that the actual COVID death count is likely way larger then the official totals.

One of the most glaring numbers gotten from this is how much it actually hurts younger people, with the excess death rate of people between 25-44 increasing by over 25% from a typical year. It also affected minorities to the greatest degree, but we already knew that.
 
While out doing my mid-day school bus route yesterday, I was stopped at a light by one of our high schools. A gaggle of students were crossing to head back to campus (as it was lunch break).

I counted seven of them - and one mask.
 
To the surprise of no one, the CDC just filed a report that excess deaths in the US are up by 300,000 people compared to a typical year. It also alludes that the actual COVID death count is likely way larger then the official totals.

One of the most glaring numbers gotten from this is how much it actually hurts younger people, with the excess death rate of people between 25-44 increasing by over 25% from a typical year. It also affected minorities to the greatest degree, but we already knew that.
Link?
 
Sadly not at a computer and my phone browser does not like letting me copy links, but you can find articles all over the place if you search cdc excess deaths.
 
To the surprise of no one, the CDC just filed a report that excess deaths in the US are up by 300,000 people compared to a typical year. It also alludes that the actual COVID death count is likely way larger then the official totals.
I got a bit curious and looked up the statistics on abortion. Did you know the annual abortion total in the USA (according to a quick Wikipedia search) is ~625,000 or so? Did you also know that the current total of "confirmed" coronavirus deaths plus these "excess" deaths for 2020 is right around 525,000 and, if you extrapolate from that total to account for the remaining 2+ months remaining in 2020, would put 2020 on track to finish at an estimated 650,000 or so combined coronavirus + "mysterious" deaths?

Now tell me again which party is the "Right to Life" one, because I'm unclear.

--Patrick
 

figmentPez

Staff member
I got a bit curious and looked up the statistics on abortion. Did you know the annual abortion total in the USA (according to a quick Wikipedia search) is ~625,000 or so? Did you also know that the current total of "confirmed" coronavirus deaths plus these "excess" deaths for 2020 is right around 525,000 and, if you extrapolate from that total to account for the remaining 2+ months remaining in 2020, would put 2020 on track to finish at an estimated 650,000 or so combined coronavirus + "mysterious" deaths?

Now tell me again which party is the "Right to Life" one, because I'm unclear.

--Patrick
I think you're misunderstanding how the excess deaths number works. You can't add that number together with known COVID-19 deaths, because COVID-19 is the most likely the cause of those excess deaths. Though that's both directly and indirectly. So, if people really didn't go to the emergency room, en masse, because they were afraid of catching the coronavirus, and died for lack of medical care, then that trend would raise the overall death count.* So the 300,000 excess death count is just a huge indication that the... Oh, the CDC page reporting current numbers is broken. Well, whatever bullshit number they've got up there that's just above 200,000 is probably well under what the actual death toll is. I've been adding 25% to that number for a while, after an earlier study found that was how much the number was under the likely actual.

*And that's likely exactly what idiots will claim. They'll say the shutdown caused all the excess deaths, not COVID-19. That people died from fear of the virus, and economic problems from over-reaction, etc. They'll do so in spite of any evidence statisticians put forth to counter those wild assumptions.

I'd be curious as to what other numbers are moving the total death count up or down. Did the decrease in people driving result in fewer fatal accidents? Is the increase in domestic abuse resulting in greater mortality? How will mask wearing and social distancing change this year's flu season? Etc. etc.

There's no doubt people will debate for decades what the actual death count was, because there's been so much work put into obscuring the real numbers, and stopping accurate data from being collected.
 
I think you're misunderstanding how the excess deaths number works.
I...think I do? But really, my point was to show yet again how hypocritical the party's claim to respect the sanctity of human life really is. The numbers aren't perfect, but they serve their purpose, especially since their counterargument so frequently is "how can you say <blah> when millions of babies die every year to abortions?" okay so first of all it's not "millions" and secondly your definition of "life" needs some clarification...
Did the decrease in people driving result in fewer fatal accidents?
Funny you should mention this. The DoT signs on my way to work today were loudly proclaiming that highway deaths for 2020 are up 89 deaths over last year's total through October, which literally made me say out loud, "What...how???"
There's no doubt people will debate for decades what the actual death count was, because there's been so much work put into obscuring the real numbers, and stopping accurate data from being collected.
Yes, because it'd be a shame if the world found out just how Great the USA has really been lately, right?

--Patrick
 
Funny you should mention this. The DoT signs on my way to work today were loudly proclaiming that highway deaths for 2020 are up 89 deaths over last year's total through October, which literally made me say out loud, "What...how???"
Mesa Public Schools has had three separate accidents involving buses over the past three days - each time it was someone hitting the bus.

Not surprising at all.
 
Sister in law got it. So did her husband, and all three kids. Husband and kids recovered well, but SIL is struggling with asthma and lupus as well. Mother and father in law watched the kids when SIL and hubby were first diagnosed but the kids weren't. MIL now is the covid ward after low oxygen and "crackling lungs" (no idea what that means). I desperately hope everyone is okay. I also hope the adults take a moment to reflect that maybe watching only Fox News and supporting an idiot president, who both told them not to worry about this for months, was maybe not the best idea. They won't, but I can hope.
 
MIL now is the covid ward after low oxygen and "crackling lungs" (no idea what that means).
FYI, "crackles" is actually a legit medical term that we use for a specific type of adventitious (abnormal) lung sounds that can be heard on airway auscultation (listening to the lungs with a stethoscope). The crackling sound can be heard occurs when air moves through fluid (mucus, effusion, pus, blood, etc.) in the smaller airways and is suggestive of lower airway disease like pneumonia. This illustration is a comic, but actually has a good description of common abnormal airway sounds.

I'm sorry your family is ill and hope all recover soon!
 

Dave

Staff member
So the reason the Covid-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca was halted was because there was a death of one of the volunteers. And it looks like they were from the placebo group. Oops.

 
It's more likely it will be available next summer
I expect the first vaccines to become available in small batches in mid spring. By the summer they may be able to be vaccinating healthcare workers, then groups at risk, etc etc. By the time I can get the vaccine it'll be end of year, at least.
 
More and more cases here in Europe. Hospitals in Germany say they still have capacity for intensive care patient but I just saw in the news that the hospitals of our neighbour Belgium already have problems helping all patients and have to make hard decisions.
 
Things are picking up here in Texas. My sons school was able to avoid COVID up until this week, where one of the students has tested positive. What makes matters worst is one of my sons teachers abruptly resigned, so I am not sure how next week is going to go. I of course am keeping my son home and doing distance learning, but any change at the school still leads to changes to the remote schooling curriculum.
 
Good news! The weekly deaths-per-day average in Arizona has hit a low of 6.4, lowest since early April!

Bad news - The weekly new cases-per-day average is going up again. We're back up to 909.3 per day, highest since mid-August.
 
Yes, because there’s nothing we can do until there’s a vaccine.
Nothing at all. We’re completely helpless.
Just like all those bills being held up in the Senate.
Nothing we can do.

—Patrick
 
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