I mean it looks like the states that require masks are trending down....(California being the exception) so it makes sense masks would be mandatory. 

I don't get the people that are anti-mask. They are required in Maryland. Nearly everyone wears them and our cases have been decreasing. I have been in an office for a month with a cloth mask every day with people. It is now just normal and not a big deal. 

Yeah, the masks help. Look at Chicago and NYC. People who are anti-masks are so fucking weird. Think it’s the “muhhh rights!!” Crowd. 

At what point should masks not be mandatory? I've seen a lot of people calling for a mask mandate until a vaccine is available, which could be never. 

Got scheduled for tomorrow at 4pm to get the test done at my local Rite-Aid

posted by SportsAndLady

Yeah, the masks help. Look at Chicago and NYC. People who are anti-masks are so fucking weird. Think it’s the “muhhh rights!!” Crowd. 

Let's wait until they open their bars and restaurants before declaring masks a silver bullet.  I think they help, but nothing like declining cases vs. a spike.  Probably more like a more modest spike.

Also, they were hit a lot harder than the rest of the country.   It could be the early hotspots (incl. Detroit, Boston and NO) have a measure of herd immunity.

posted by justincredible

At what point should masks not be mandatory? I've seen a lot of people calling for a mask mandate until a vaccine is available, which could be never. 

If the late 2020 / early 2021 vaccine candidates fail, then we can have that debate.  But they are still very optimistic for multiple vaccines.

If there are no vaccines on the horizon, then we can move on to acceptance and return to normal.  But it's been a cultural norm in Asian countries to wear masks when you're sick.

posted by gut

posted by SportsAndLady

Yeah, the masks help. Look at Chicago and NYC. People who are anti-masks are so fucking weird. Think it’s the “muhhh rights!!” Crowd. 

Let's wait until they open their bars and restaurants before declaring masks a silver bullet.  I think they help, but nothing like declining cases vs. a spike.  Probably more like a more modest spike.

Also, they were hit a lot harder than the rest of the country.   It could be the early hotspots (incl. Detroit, Boston and NO) have a measure of herd immunity.

Yeah, def not saying masks are the sole reason for the lower numbers, but they definitely help. So there’s no reason not to wear one, IMO  

posted by justincredible

I do not believe hospitalizations or deaths are rising. Ohio also just started offering free testing to anyone who wants it. Cases were bound to rise.

True, but the percentage positive tests is also rising.

posted by queencitybuckeye

posted by justincredible

I do not believe hospitalizations or deaths are rising. Ohio also just started offering free testing to anyone who wants it. Cases were bound to rise.

True, but the percentage positive tests is also rising.

As are the false positives  

I don’t think anyone knows what conclusions to make of the numbers right now  

posted by queencitybuckeye

posted by justincredible

I do not believe hospitalizations or deaths are rising. Ohio also just started offering free testing to anyone who wants it. Cases were bound to rise.

True, but the percentage positive tests is also rising.

As of last week, the number of positive tests as a percentage of total tests were on the decline. It was something like 4-5% of tests were coming back positive. My wife is on a call, once she's off I'll verify the data.

posted by SportsAndLady

I don’t think anyone knows what conclusions to make of the numbers right now 

I can't understand why Europe has been declining while they re-opened.  Americans can't be that much worse about social distancing and masks (and I remember stories about that not happening as Europe re-opened).

We have since surpassed Sweden in terms of cases per million.  Obviously Sweden never shut down, and they've been a little lax on the social distancing.

I think the Italy virus mutated into something more contagious here.  It's really the only explanation that fits.

posted by justincredible

posted by queencitybuckeye

posted by justincredible

I do not believe hospitalizations or deaths are rising. Ohio also just started offering free testing to anyone who wants it. Cases were bound to rise.

True, but the percentage positive tests is also rising.

As of last week, the number of positive tests as a percentage of total tests were on the decline. It was something like 4-5% of tests were coming back positive. My wife is on a call, once she's off I'll verify the data.

According to the data released by the state, positive tests as a percentage of all tests has remained at about 5% for the last month and half.

Where did you see that % positive test were rising?

posted by justincredible

As of last week, the number of positive tests as a percentage of total tests were on the decline. It was something like 4-5% of tests were coming back positive. My wife is on a call, once she's off I'll verify the data.

It seems like most of the states are seeing an increase simply because of more testing.  But AR, TX and FL definitely have a problem with an increase in the percent of positive results (and also their hospitals).

But conservative media keeps chirping about "their deaths keep declining!!!".  It's a lagging indicator, jackass.  Let's see what happens in about 3 weeks.

BTW, I am only speaking of Ohio when I talk about the data. We are not tracking other states.

Took 3 months to find a bike for my daughters bday

posted by gut

posted by justincredible

As of last week, the number of positive tests as a percentage of total tests were on the decline. It was something like 4-5% of tests were coming back positive. My wife is on a call, once she's off I'll verify the data.

It seems like most of the states are seeing an increase simply because of more testing.  But AR, TX and FL definitely have a problem with an increase in the percent of positive results (and also their hospitals).

But conservative media keeps chirping about "their deaths keep declining!!!".  It's a lagging indicator, jackass.  Let's see what happens in about 3 weeks.

Hospitalizations are not a lagging indicator, though. And so far those numbers, as an entire country, are not a cause of concern. Which is good. 

Anybody see this? I'm not surprised the virus was found, as I have thought it's been around since 2018 (if not before). It's just hard to tell how long it's existed, but no one had a name or test for it. Chalk it up to a "flu-like" or "pneumonia-like" death, and move on.

Spanish virologists have found traces of the novel coronavirus in a sample of Barcelona waste water collected in March 2019, nine months before the COVID-19 disease was identified in China, the University of Barcelona said on Friday.

Additionally:

They first found the virus was present in Barcelona on Jan. 15, 2020, 41 days before the first case was officially reported there.

And, because some friends and I were talking about it, I was able to find some data on a "historical" perspective of death rate. Turns out 2020 was better than 2018 from February 1 through March.

In 2018, 485,803 people died in February and March. About 6,120 of those people, or 3%, were classified as having died of influenza or pneumonia.
From Feb. 1 through March 28 of this year, 435,808 people died. About 1,150 were classified as having died of COVID-19, and 23,729 were classified as having died of the flu or pneumonia.

My son gave up on a bike about two weeks ago.  He even looked overseas.  It’s crazy. 

posted by SportsAndLady

posted by queencitybuckeye

posted by justincredible

I do not believe hospitalizations or deaths are rising. Ohio also just started offering free testing to anyone who wants it. Cases were bound to rise.

True, but the percentage positive tests is also rising.

As are the false positives  

I don’t think anyone knows what conclusions to make of the numbers right now  

I have no clue if I have it, or not. Rite-Aid says it will take 2-5 days to get results. I'd planned on starting to go back into work (limited) on Monday and I don't want to be that dick who exposes a couple of coworkers to it. May be a false alarm but would rather be safe than sorry.

The 2-5 day turnaround is fucking ridiculous. Hopefully they’re just being conservative and it’ll come back much sooner. 

The other thing in regards to numbers is we’ll have a really sick patient come into the ER and the rapid test will be negative. Doctors basically don’t believe it and will admit them as Covid anyways while they wait for the other test to come back which takes at least a few hours if not the next day. Idk what this does to the numbers they report every day. Further more, patients will test negative - even with the more reliable test - then test positive days later. 

It’s hard to give a shit what the overall number is, 51K I think. 

So, the US is back to caring about Covid?

posted by like_that

So, the US is back to caring about Covid?

I'm looking forward to a major change in tone (a.k.a "flip-flop") around about January 21st.

posted by gut

posted by justincredible

As of last week, the number of positive tests as a percentage of total tests were on the decline. It was something like 4-5% of tests were coming back positive. My wife is on a call, once she's off I'll verify the data.

It seems like most of the states are seeing an increase simply because of more testing.  But AR, TX and FL definitely have a problem with an increase in the percent of positive results (and also their hospitals).

But conservative media keeps chirping about "their deaths keep declining!!!".  It's a lagging indicator, jackass.  Let's see what happens in about 3 weeks.

Hospitalizations and deaths don't lag by 3 weeks. The original peak in the USA, the peak deaths only lagged the original peak cases by 10 days. We have been increasing again for 10 days or more and the deaths have still been going down or staying even in all states.

posted by jmog

Hospitalizations and deaths don't lag by 3 weeks. The original peak in the USA, the peak deaths only lagged the original peak cases by 10 days. We have been increasing again for 10 days or more and the deaths have still been going down or staying even in all states.

Hospitals can lag a week or two.  Deaths are 3-4, sometimes 5 weeks after contracting the virus.  What you're forgetting about the initial peak is millions of cases had gone undiagnosed.  So that's an apples to oranges comparison.  It takes, on average, about a month to die after the onset of symptoms.  

posted by gut

posted by jmog

Hospitalizations and deaths don't lag by 3 weeks. The original peak in the USA, the peak deaths only lagged the original peak cases by 10 days. We have been increasing again for 10 days or more and the deaths have still been going down or staying even in all states.

Hospitals can lag a week or two.  Deaths are 3-4, sometimes 5 weeks after contracting the virus.  What you're forgetting about the initial peak is millions of cases had gone undiagnosed.  So that's an apples to oranges comparison.  It takes, on average, about a month to die after the onset of symptoms.  

The statistics just do not agree with you.