Day 128: COVID-19 Well, This is Getting Tedious

 

They tell us that the virus knows no borders. And my state, being a “sanctuary” state observes no international borders. But, boy, when it comes to county lines, now there’s a border!

Yesterday, Sturmführer Governor Newson deigned to grant that 47 counties could now let hairdressers and barbers ply their trade. Mine is not one of them. And even if it had been, local authorities can maintain in force stricter rules. Napa and Solano counties are two in the greater Bay Area that are doing so even though they qualify as part of the 47.

As best I can tell, my county doesn’t yet have the Stasi contact tracing infrastructure in place to narc on identify potential infected persons and jail isolate them. And although I could get a haircut by a licensed professional on a roadside lawn chair set up on the far side of the meandering Old San Joaquin River less than two miles from my house, that pesky county line makes it illegal to do so on this side of the river.

So let’s take a look at how the epidemic is doing in my county of 1.1 million people:

Thirty-seven deaths, most of which are among those older than 80. I don’t want to discount the suffering that family members are having at their passing, but when each of these people were born, the notion that they would live beyond 80 would have surprised them. I know my own mother-in-law is marveling that she has achieved a longer life than anyone in her family. My own mother just had her 97th birthday, so she qualifies as a sequoia.

As you can see from the chart above, if you get sick in our county and are under the age of 80, your chances of death drop precipitously. Under 5% of the people being tested are positive for the virus that causes COVID-19. And less than 10% of those cases are severe enough to require hospitalization.

But you can’t get a haircut. “The virus knows no borders” — yeah.

[Note: Links to all my COVID-19 posts can be found here.]

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  1. Penfold Member
    Penfold
    @Penfold

    Forget countries.  Now it’s spread to space.  I was watching a live interview with the Spacex ‘nauts and the clueless interviewer wanted to know if they were still being tested.  Mind you, this was about 6 hours before scheduled launch.  I had to stop watching.

    • #1
  2. JennaStocker Member
    JennaStocker
    @JennaStocker

    @rodin I don’t want you to take this the wrong way – I really appreciate your COVID updates and the detailed efforts you put into them – but I’m looking forward to the day when you don’t have anything to report, because there’s nothing to report.

    • #2
  3. Unsk Member
    Unsk
    @Unsk

    Rodin, We must obey Comrade Sturmfuhrer Newson to the letter or else we may fall prey to recidivist racist behavior of the far right winger Kulaks who question the all knowing authority of our blessed government.   We are entering a new glorious phase of the revolution to impose a new social order that will be led by those who know what is best for us. Let us not throw obstacles in it’s path. 

    Your post unfortunately engages in some of this recidivist racist behavior by using these alleged ‘facts” like  over 60% of the deaths have taken those over 80 who are not likely to use  hairdressers or barbers as some sort of excuse to question why your county still prohibits hairdressers or barbers to operate  and open their businesses. This sort of questioning and “freethinking” cannot be allowed for it will endanger the coming new social order  we are trying to achieve. 

    • #3
  4. Misthiocracy got drunk and Member
    Misthiocracy got drunk and
    @Misthiocracy

    Rodin: My own mother just had her 97th birthday, so she qualifies as a sequoia.

    • #4
  5. Jim McConnell Member
    Jim McConnell
    @JimMcConnell

    Penfold (View Comment):

    Forget countries. Now it’s spread to space. I was watching a live interview with the Spacex ‘nauts and the clueless interviewer wanted to know if they were still being tested. Mind you, this was about 6 hours before scheduled launch. I had to stop watching.

    To me, it seems that interviewer is typical of the modern “journalist” (and I’m sure that’s what he/she considers him/herself). They are either too willfully ignorant or too lazy to venture off the current narrative, which is ‘panic about the Virus.’ I have long since given up watching the networks for news; they seem to be only interested in impressing their peers with their adherence to the narrative of the day.

    • #5
  6. Bob Thompson Member
    Bob Thompson
    @BobThompson

    Jim McConnell (View Comment):

    Penfold (View Comment):

    Forget countries. Now it’s spread to space. I was watching a live interview with the Spacex ‘nauts and the clueless interviewer wanted to know if they were still being tested. Mind you, this was about 6 hours before scheduled launch. I had to stop watching.

    To me, it seems that interviewer is typical of the modern “journalist” (and I’m sure that’s what he/she considers him/herself). They are either too willfully ignorant or too lazy to venture off the current narrative, which is ‘panic about the Virus.’ I have long since given up watching the networks for news; they seem to be only interested in impressing their peers with their adherence to the narrative of the day.

    The narrative comes  from those our government has designated as experts. WHO, HHS, NIH,CDC, FDA, followed by state and municipal level health agencies and their directors. Most of these have been way off the mark or late in getting it close to right. The continuation of this shutdown with what is now known about this virus is as far from an action based on expert knowledge as is imaginable.

    • #6
  7. OmegaPaladin Moderator
    OmegaPaladin
    @OmegaPaladin

    Let me put it this way – certain researchers at my place of work are hurrying to complete their protocols on COVID-19 research because they are worried there will not be enough patients to collect samples from.

    This is in Chicago, mind you.   Our hospital’s COVID-19 cases are dropping steadily, though slowly.

    • #7
  8. Bob Thompson Member
    Bob Thompson
    @BobThompson

    Twitter doesn’t need any fact-checking just don’t have the verbiage reflect the significance in the data. Which political districts have done better?

     

    Pew Research Center @pewresearch  

    COVID-19 deaths have declined in Democratic congressional districts since mid-April, but remained relatively steady in districts controlled by Republicans. https://pewrsr.ch/3gsPnCl 

    View image on Twitter 1,4676:29 AM – May 27, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacy

    • #8
  9. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    Dear American Doctors and the Government Agencies You Advise,

    This past winter, you have done an amazing job of getting the country through the pandemic. We love you all to pieces. And we know there are many more of us back at work now than would have been without your good, tireless, and faithful work. :-) 

    But it’s become ridiculously frustrating and difficult to get anything done under these new and complicated and inconsistent procedures that you quickly put together this winter. 

    So we thank you deeply and sincerely, but it’s time for us to get back to work. :-)

    See you in the fall. 

    Love, 

    America

    • #9
  10. Rodin Member
    Rodin
    @Rodin

    This comment is for the number crunchers for whom data is gold, and mathematical relationships between data is endlessly fascinating:

    The spreadsheet in the OP was drawn from data posted on our county “dashboard”. It helpfully gives the age breakdown of cases and deaths. It does not helpfully give age data on anything else. It helpfully provides information on daily hospital census of COVID-19 patients. It does not helpfully tell you how many patients have been through the hospitals and either discharged or died. So the figure of 128 patients was derived using two different sources: the county’s “dashboard” and the California statewide daily inventory of hospital status aggregated to the county level. The California daily inventory reports not only confirmed case patients but suspected case patients as well. A patient is “suspected” if they present with symptoms but the test results have yet to be returned that confirm the presence of the virus. So the 128 figure may actually include patients with “flu-like” symptoms that will be determined negative for the virus. My methodology for calculating the total number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients was to start with the 11 reported patients on 3/21 then add in new admissions (Day 2 census-Day 1 census, etc) through the end of the reporting period (5/26). I then also added the census for suspected patients at the end of the period, some of whom will be confirmed and other will not.

    • #10
  11. Bob Thompson Member
    Bob Thompson
    @BobThompson

    Rodin (View Comment):

    This comment is for the number crunchers for whom data is gold, and mathematical relationships between data is endlessly fascinating:

    The spreadsheet in the OP was drawn from data posted on our county “dashboard”. It helpfully gives the age breakdown of cases and deaths. It does not helpfully give age data on anything else. It helpfully provides information on daily hospital census of COVID-19 patients. It does not helpfully tell you how many patients have been through the hospitals and either discharged or died. So the figure of 128 patients was derived using two different sources: the county’s “dashboard” and the California statewide daily inventory of hospital status aggregated to the county level. The California daily inventory reports not only confirmed case patients but suspected case patients as well. A patient is “suspected” if they present with symptoms but the test results have yet to be returned that confirm the presence of the virus. So the 128 figure may actually include patients with “flu-like” symptoms that will be determined negative for the virus. My methodology for calculating the total number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients was to start with the 11 reported patients on 3/21 then add in new admissions (Day 2 census-Day 1 census, etc) through the end of the reporting period (5/26).

    Most people can figure out that for the deaths of the elderly, particularly those in nursing homes, there are likely other significant contributing factors. For the small number of deaths for those under sixty it would help to know if there were contributing factors or not. This is usually not presented.

    • #11
  12. Rodin Member
    Rodin
    @Rodin

    Bob Thompson (View Comment):

    Twitter doesn’t need any fact-checking just don’t have the verbiage reflect the significance in the data. Which political districts have done better?

     

    Pew Research Center @pewresearch

    COVID-19 deaths have declined in Democratic congressional districts since mid-April, but remained relatively steady in districts controlled by Republicans. https://pewrsr.ch/3gsPnCl

    View image on Twitter 1,4676:29 AM – May 27, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacy

    We all know 1.7 is worse than 4.1, and a peak of 2.0 is worse than 7.4, right?

    • #12
  13. CarolJoy, Above Top Secret Coolidge
    CarolJoy, Above Top Secret
    @CarolJoy

    Unsk (View Comment):

    Rodin, We must obey Comrade Sturmfuhrer Newson to the letter or else we may fall prey to recidivist racist behavior of the far right winger Kulaks who question the all knowing authority of our blessed government. We are entering a new glorious phase of the revolution to impose a new social order that will be led by those who know what is best for us. Let us not throw obstacles in it’s path.

    Your post unfortunately engages in some of this recidivist racist behavior by using these alleged ‘facts” like over 60% of the deaths have taken those over 80 who are not likely to use hairdressers or barbers as some sort of excuse to question why your county still prohibits hairdressers or barbers to operate and open their businesses. This sort of questioning and “freethinking” cannot be allowed for it will endanger the coming new social order we are trying to achieve.

    Unsk, once the Clintons’ have their Global Initiative of sponsored contact tracers out and about, people like Rodin will cease to be a problem. Many of us here know Rodin well enough as far as how this individual’s mind works. It is unlikely that even a long stint in the re-education camps will straighten him out.

    The glorious days of the worker’s paradise are just  now about to arrive. As spring rewards those who endure the harsh misery of winter, so do workers like you and me welcome the fruits of our labor. Thank you for your time and effort in joining with all who endeavor  to experience a life freed from the unfettered chains of Capitalist Amerika!

    • #13
  14. The Scarecrow Thatcher
    The Scarecrow
    @TheScarecrow

    If this virus were not happening, and some enterprising journalist did some research and discovered that deaths had been recorded in the numbers on your graph, among the age populations on your graph, he would not find anybody to run his story as “news”. 

    This whole thing has become beyond-contemptible.

     

    • #14
  15. Rodin Member
    Rodin
    @Rodin

    CarolJoy, Above Top Secret (View Comment):
    Unsk, once the Clintons’ have their Global Initiative of sponsored contact tracers out and about, people like Rodin will cease to be a problem. Many of us here know Rodin well enough as far as how this individual’s mind works. It is unlikely that even a long stint in the re-education camps will straighten him out.

    Too, true. I vacillate between making my public death a spur for revolution or hiding my mind with external obsequiousness in order to eventually join a guerrilla group to free Kalifornia.

    • #15
  16. ToryWarWriter Coolidge
    ToryWarWriter
    @ToryWarWriter

    It certainly doesnt help that in several states, mainly democrat ones, they took procedures that were designed to cause more casualties.  Someone should open a war crimes tribunal on Coumo and Jackson.

    • #16
  17. jeffversion1.0 Coolidge
    jeffversion1.0
    @jvanhorn

    Bob Thompson (View Comment):

    Twitter doesn’t need any fact-checking just don’t have the verbiage reflect the significance in the data. Which political districts have done better?

     

    Pew Research Center @pewresearch

    COVID-19 deaths have declined in Democratic congressional districts since mid-April, but remained relatively steady in districts controlled by Republicans. https://pewrsr.ch/3gsPnCl

    View image on Twitter 1,4676:29 AM – May 27, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacy

    The existence of this graph and the fact that actual people took the time to compile it and put it out for public consumption with that headline is just…. Geez. I feel worse about the state of the world now than I did before I knew of it.

    • #17
  18. Hammer, The Inactive
    Hammer, The
    @RyanM

    Bob Thompson (View Comment):

    Twitter doesn’t need any fact-checking just don’t have the verbiage reflect the significance in the data. Which political districts have done better?

     

    Pew Research Center @pewresearch

    COVID-19 deaths have declined in Democratic congressional districts since mid-April, but remained relatively steady in districts controlled by Republicans. https://pewrsr.ch/3gsPnCl

    View image on Twitter 1,4676:29 AM – May 27, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacy

    That is laugh out loud funny, Bob.

    Just sort of summarizes the entire MSM in one fantastic headline.

    • #18
  19. Hammer, The Inactive
    Hammer, The
    @RyanM

    OmegaPaladin (View Comment):

    Let me put it this way – certain researchers at my place of work are hurrying to complete their protocols on COVID-19 research because they are worried there will not be enough patients to collect samples from.

    This is in Chicago, mind you. Our hospital’s COVID-19 cases are dropping steadily, though slowly.

    In fairness to the other side, there are a lot of people who would reply: “just wait until fall!”

    Either way, we will have another run on toilet paper right around September.

    • #19
  20. CarolJoy, Above Top Secret Coolidge
    CarolJoy, Above Top Secret
    @CarolJoy

    jeffversion1.0 (View Comment):

    Bob Thompson (View Comment):

    Twitter doesn’t need any fact-checking just don’t have the verbiage reflect the significance in the data. Which political districts have done better?

     

    Pew Research Center @pewresearch

    COVID-19 deaths have declined in Democratic congressional districts since mid-April, but remained relatively steady in districts controlled by Republicans. https://pewrsr.ch/3gsPnCl

    View image on Twitter 1,4676:29 AM – May 27, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacy

    The existence of this graph and the fact that actual people took the time to compile it and put it out for public consumption with that headline is just…. Geez. I feel worse about the state of the world now than I did before I knew of it.

    @bobthompson

     

    I stole this graphic you shared with us and it amazed and pissed off some of my FB followers. I did have one person who commented that maybe Pew came up with that headline so that they could have the graph promoted on social media. After all, anything that offers any light and respect for Republicans is usually “cleansed” from social media.

     

    • #20
  21. Old Bathos Member
    Old Bathos
    @OldBathos

    When the only tool is a hammer and government owns that hammer, expect to be treated like a nail whenever there is a crisis.

    • #21
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