COVID-19 Resources

[glc]

Oh well, so much for Joplin being in good shape. We now have 152 cases and 2 deaths, 31 of the cases and both deaths were at a nursing home.

No general mask ordinance yet, but this will probably be revisited soon when they figure out how to enforce it, they already "strongly encourage" everyone wear one when away from their home. They already require everyone in service industries to wear them when near customers.

[Mark Sedenquist]

So, here is the latest reporting tool that I think has some validity and could be helpful when providing advice to would-be road trippers.

This was developed by a software group that worked on Instagram. The data report is called:

Rt COVID-19

Rt, according to this group, is a key measure of how fast the virus is growing. It’s the average number of people who become infected by an infectious person. If Rt is above 1.0, the virus will spread quickly. When Rt is below 1.0, the virus will stop spreading.

As of this date, the rate of infection spread is the highest in the state of Nevada, but many of the western and southern states have Rt values almost as high.

The 10 states with the highest rate of spread as of today are:

Nevada @ 1.56
Wyoming @ 1.39
Florida @ 1.34
Idaho @ 1.33
Hawaii @ 1.31
Oklahoma @ 1.31
Montana @ 1.31
Wisconsin @ 1.29
West Virginia @ 1.19
Louisiana @ 1.16


Each state breakout shows rate of infection relative to the period of shelter-in-place and other key data.

[Rick Quinn]

Sorry to hear that, George, but the way people move around, I guess it was bound to happen. As I'm sure you all know, my home state of Arizona has been making the national news pretty much every night over the alarming progression of the disease here. Early on, we were doing pretty well, so much so that people stopped taking the virus seriously, and when our Governor "re-opened" the state in mid-May, two weeks ahead of his original schedule, a LOT of people, especially younger people, took that as meaning the whole crisis was over. They jammed into bars and night clubs like it was New Year's Eve; none of them were wearing masks, they most certainly weren't keeping their distance from each other, and what with all the laughing and singing and hollering that happens when people drink, it was a recipe for disaster. And not just the bars; stores, parks, pools, everywhere, you looked, people were ignoring the CDC guidelines. Old guys like me, sitting on the sidelines, watched all this happening, and we knew darned well what was going to happen next. Since Arizona's re-opening, the number of active cases in the state has literally exploded, and our hospitals are now approaching their surge capacity.

Masks and social distancing are critical, and these eminently sensible precautions have absolutely nothing to do with politics, freedom of speech, or Constitutional rights. When Arizona's stay-at-home order ended, wearing of masks in public spaces was "recommended." Based on what I saw personally, well over half the population interpreted that as meaning "optional;" and not just no, but "Hell, no!" It's hot here, and masks are uncomfortable, so people would get downright angry at the mere mention of a mask mandate. Now that our state is in serious trouble, all that has changed. There are ordinances pretty much everywhere making face coverings mandatory, and many businesses bar entry to anyone not wearing a mask. From what I'm seeing? I don't think too many people are angry about it anymore.

Rick

[Mark Sedenquist]

It is reasonably hot in Las Vegas too. In my personal experience, most of the locals are doing everything they can to limit the spread of the virus. Face masks on just about everyone I see (except for tourists).

It is beginning to get scary once again.

Hang in there, everyone!

Mark

[Lifemagician]

It's more than scary here, it is geting down right depressing. Our State (Victoria), and our State alone has been cordened off by the rest of the country, and the cases have gone through the roof..... Oz style. There have been double digit new cases every day for more than a week now, and the 105th person (for the whole country) died overnight.
After the first double digit (36) a week ago, someone reminded us that AZ has the same populaion as Victoria, and they had in excess of 3000 new cases the same day - despite the fact that it is nowhere near as densely populated as Vic.
Right now where I am every suburb is under very strict close down all around us, but not us. We are a little island in the middle. For safety's sake I act as if we are under the same restrictions. Not been out of this place for more than a week. But then I think of the 3000+ residents in nine 20 storey high rise public housing projects (which were built in the early 60s) who are not allowed to leave their residence because of the narrow corridors and small lifts. Medical staff are going door to door testing everyone. So far dozens have tested positive. In the density of those projects, it's like wildfire. Worst of all is that the majority of residents are from the horn of Africa, and many do not speak English.

And I should now be in the warmth of North America, and not freezing here in Melbourne. Was only 9C this morning. Brrrrrrrrr.

Can't wait for all this to end. Experts predict it will be years! I may never see my grandchildren again.

Lifey

[Mark Sedenquist]

And it's cutting close to home here.

Two more friends, about three blocks from my house, both tested posted positive, both have symptoms, for Covid-19. One is recovering. The other is quite ill. Both are on their 30's, fit and healthy before the onset of symptoms.

Checking in with them daily.

Mark

[DonnaR57]

Lifey, Melbourne (and area) was in our national news today, for the numbers of cases.

I'm in an area of SoCal that has been fortunate NOT to see a big rise of cases. However, we have all been told we are starting the new school year in Distance Learning because of other places in our county (35+ miles away) that have major amounts of rising cases. (Another new software for me to learn!!! I've already started to learn.)

Our dining places, gyms, have all been told that they must "take it outdoors" (not fun at 95F in the shade). Fortunately, our city's mayor offered free picnic tables to any restaurant that has space for outdoor dining, even cordoning off a few parking places, as long as the picnic tables are donated back at the end of the pandemic. The mayor will put them into our parks. He also opened up parks (with the Board's approval) for fitness classes such as yoga, as long as social distancing is maintained and masks are worn.

I for one am ready for 2020 to be over and done with. I'm sure I am not the only one who sees the Pandemic, murder hornets, salmonella from onions, cicadas bringing disease, as a sign that something is coming. It was also said online that scientists are very close to being able to recreate a dinosaur and bring it to life. Um, please, no. Not Jurassic Park, too.


Donna

[NowthatIamretired]

I for one am ready for 2020 to be over and done with. I'm sure I am not the only one who sees the Pandemic, murder hornets, salmonella from onions, cicadas bringing disease, as a sign that something is coming. It was also said online that scientists are very close to being able to recreate a dinosaur and bring it to life. Um, please, no. Not Jurassic Park, too.


Donna

You forgot the squirrel found with bubonic plaque out in Colorado earlier in July. I so agree with you about 2020. I feel for you. I retired from the public schools years ago and am SO glad I’m not dealing with online learning, both as an educator and as a parent.

We did do a short get away trip last week to a lodge in Shenandoah National Park. It was in state for us and while there were a lot of people in the lodge and camping area, we ran into almost no one on the trails and hikes we took. Masks were mandatory inside but most still had them on outside around the buildings. On one hike a couple in the group we passed were grabbing for their masks as we went by them. That’s one place I didn’t have mine on while we hiked as I figured what few people we ran into we were not close to or else just passed them on the trail quickly while looking away.

[DonnaR57]

Thank you, I did forget about the squirrel!!! I also forgot about the shortages we've been having of all sorts, from chicken in the grocery stores ("limit 2 per family") to new clothes in the stores (not that we're allowed to try any on, nor will many stores allow you to return them).

I debated retiring this year. If I were a year older, I would have done so. In my state, there are two major jumps in teacher retirement pay - and I am not quite old enough to make one of them. So I have to go another year. I figure, if nothing else, it will be the most interesting two years to remember in teaching! I love kids, especially the younger ones, but admittedly when I signed up for teaching, a personal computer wasn't something on everyone's radar. So I never thought I'd be teaching kids who weren't in the same room with me!


Donna

[Midwest Michael]

I honestly can't believe any American school is even thinking of restarting in person classes within the next month, even though that's exactly what many are planning. Baseball has really been a canary in the coal mine. Despite millions of dollars on the line, extensive testing, strict cleaning and safety protocols, you've already seen 2 teams shut down in 2 weeks with outbreaks. Schools and teachers don't have nearly those resources, don't have staff members nearly as well contained, work in facilities even more condusive to spreading viruses, and won't have anywhere near the testing available, (much less required testing like MLB), to slow an outbreak before it spreads throughout the school.

I've yet to see a single school planning to restart in person classes that has actually announced plans for what they are going to be doing for testing, and what - if any - plans they have for when students or staff become infected. Reopening without that in place is borderline criminal in my book. The only steps have basically been to say, ok, we'll try to reduce class sizes and offer some online options to those who want them, but otherwise, carry on. Yes, online learning has its challenges and in person will always be better. It also doesn't help that the first exposure most people had to online schooling was an emergency situation, where no one had time to plan for it and most schools basically treated it like a joke where such classes didn't really count. I don't think most people did expect the US to fail so badly in it's pandemic response, and I think most people did expect us to look a lot more like Europe at this point where the outbreaks can at least be managed and in-person schooling is an option, but it's a shame more wasn't done over the past 5 months to make successful online classes "plan A." Yes, that is challenging, but far better for teachers and students to learn how to effectively use google classroom than it is for them to learn how to use a ventilator.