Outside the Beltway

The Cases Keep Growing

Contrary to the assertions of some, this isn’t going away.

Steven L. Taylor
28

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As we all prepare for the end of the election, the country continues to see a significant surge of Covid-19 cases:

Friday we hit 101,461 cases, according to Worldometers, a record for daily cases (after a record of 91,834 the day before). Saturday saw 86,293 and Sunday 71,321. Keep in mind that for various reasons, the numbers usually are lower for weekend days as opposed to work days. Yet, both days this past weekend would have been record days not that long ago.

Contrary to the assertions of the current occupant of the White House, the virus isn’t going away anytime soon, let alone on November 4th.

Covid, Covid, Covid, indeed.

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28 responses to “The Cases Keep Growing”

  1. charon Avatar
    charon

    Covid, Covid, Covid, indeed

    2
  2. charon Avatar
    charon

    Covid, Covid, Covid, indeed

    Trump does not like the publicity the virus is getting, he can look in a mirror to find the real responsible party.

    https://twitter.com/DrTomFrieden/status/1322324969888645120 Thread

    https://twitter.com/DrTomFrieden/status/1322325000871882752

    Interesting survey data, summarized on http://covidexitstrategy.org. In states with >90% mask wearing, less than 20% of people know someone who is sick. In states with 80% or less mask wearing, 30-54% know someone who is sick. Look at the top and bottom. Striking! 16/

    Why the scariest Halloween? Thanksgiving in Canada. https://wapo.st/3ebw7sg. In US: Case increases. Divisiveness. Undermining science. Denying reality. Even countries which did relatively well struggling; the US, with a completely failed federal response, faces devastation. 19/

    Ending the COVID-19 pandemic? Orwellian. Reality and hard truth: The pandemic will not end any time soon. But maybe, soon, and end to the completely dysfunctional national response. 21/end

    1
  3. charon Avatar
    charon

    https://twitter.com/bopinion/status/1322937610348777474

    The strategies pursued by South Korea, Vietnam & China are paying off. As of Nov. 1, the cumulative death rate per million is:

    Flag of United StatesU.S.: 696

    Flag of United KingdomU.K.: 685

    Flag of FranceFrance: 563

    vs.

    South Korea: 9

    China: 3

    Vietnam: 0.36

    Malaysia, Taiwan also very low.

    2
  4. Bob@Youngstown Avatar
    Bob@Youngstown

    I fear that Trump has realized that he will lose, but owing to his hatred of the Democratic Party is actively propagating Coronavirus. His intent is to make it more difficult for the new administration to succeed.
    Trump’s supporters are being used as pawns, he has no regard for their health or safety.

  5. Monala Avatar
    Monala

    @charon: topping the list of states where people know someone who is sick are the Dakotas: 45% in North Dakota and 54% in South Dakota. I wonder if anyone second thoughts about the Sturgis Rally?

  6. charon Avatar
    charon

    @charon:

    That link actually goes to a thread. Downthread a ways:

    https://twitter.com/bopinion/status/1322939864527101953

    Compare that with Asia:

    South Korea tested early, and often

    In Wuhan, 11 million people were tested over 2 weeks

    The positive-test rate in South Korea and Vietnam is below 1%, compared to 10% in France and Spain

    Also in the thread:

    The key to avoiding more lockdowns is finding a way to “live with the virus” through:

    Widespread testing

    *Tracing of contacts

    *Isolating positive cases

    Western countries have made structural, not cultural errors here

    The Eastern countries had experience with earlier pandemics, and applied lessons learned.

    *My note – also financial support for isolating contacts.

    1
  7. Sleeping Dog Avatar
    Sleeping Dog

    The NY Times this AM has an article on states, particularly ND, SD, TN and ID that have all but given up fighting the virus.

    Good luck to them. It may be an opportune time to buy stock in funeral companies.

  8. charon Avatar
    charon

    @Bob@Youngstown:

    I fear that Trump has realized that he will lose, but owing to his hatred of the Democratic Party is actively propagating Coronavirus.

    He is too stupid for that level of strategizing.

    His intent is to make it more difficult for the new administration to succeed.
    Trump’s supporters are being used as pawns, he has no regard for their health or safety.

    That he is capable of. He is a malignant narcissist, his pattern is to blame his supporters for failure and get back at them, hurt them. His role model Adolf blamed the German people for losing, sought to go out with massive destruction.

    The country is in for a bumpy ride after Nov.3.

    3
  9. charon Avatar
    charon

    First sentence above should be another blockquote, no edit function dammit.

  10. de stijl Avatar
    de stijl

    Imagine everyone living in Richmond VA.

    That many people died since March.

    And that’s the official count.

    1
  11. charon Avatar
    charon

    @Sleeping Dog:

    With a potluck dinner, no masks and plenty of shared hugs, the night felt like a throwback to the pre-pandemic era except for a noticeable exception on the stage: The lead pastor, Paul Van Noy, was addressing the congregation with the aid of supplemental oxygen, piped into his nostrils from a small tank.

    “I think we just open up and we just let it take its course,” said Nancy Hillberg, 68, as church members mingled after the service. “Just let it be done.”

    Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota wrote that “there is no way to stop the virus,” while Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota said that when it comes to saving lives, “it’s not a job for government, this is a job for everybody.” In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee told residents that “at the end of the day, personal responsibility is the only way.” Gov. Mike Dunleavy of Alaska said in an interview that rising case numbers this fall should not cause people to go into hiding.

    “It’s like being told you’re going to get hit with a meteorite,” Mr. Dunleavy said. “There comes a point where people just say, ‘I still have to live. I still have to work. I still have to have contact with my family.’”

    Hospital and government officials have seen signs of pandemic fatigue, with child sports leagues looking to restart activities, friends celebrating birthdays and families making plans to gather once again — perhaps for the upcoming holidays. Gallup has tracked social distancing habits of Americans and seen sliding numbers of people practicing social distancing, from 92 percent in April to 72 percent in September.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/02/us/coronavirus-control.html

    Turning this crap around after January will be a big big problem.

    3
  12. charon Avatar
    charon

    @charon:

    Turning this crap around after January will be a big big problem.

    After January, I think practicalities will force the federal govt. into triaging, concentrate on helping the areas where the case load is manageable.

    1
  13. Just nutha ignint cracker Avatar
    Just nutha ignint cracker

    @Monala: “Of course not, [my] freedom is worth [you] getting sick. It’s a steep price, but I’m willing [for you] to pay it.”

    7
  14. Sleeping Dog Avatar
    Sleeping Dog

    @charon:

    After January, I think practicalities will force the federal govt. into triaging, concentrate on helping the areas where the case load is manageable.

    I don’t disagree, but be forewarned that this will be portrayed as Biden favoring blue states at the expense of red, even if the aid is predicated on policies that many states are already pursuing.

    It will be: Let MUH FREEDOM ring.

  15. Pylon Avatar
    Pylon

    Any relation to the good Dr. J?

    https://www.rawstory.com/2020/11/trump-loving-pastor-contracts-19-after-suggesting-that-prayer-protects-against-the/

  16. MarkedMan Avatar
    MarkedMan

    @charon: As a nation, we really have to ask ourselves how much time and effort do we want to spend on the Trump states. They are socially dysfunctional and their government can only react to the most basic impulses. I feel bad for all the decent people dragged into what is essentially a suicide and mass murder pact, but this is triage. These gun toting lunatics are better off inside their state infecting and shooting each other, diverting their attention long enough for the decent states and (if there is a god in heaven) the feds to get control.

  17. JohnSF Avatar
    JohnSF

    @charon:
    Australia also; zero cases cases in the 24 hours between 20:00 on Friday and 20:00 on Saturday.
    New Zealand similar; 25 deaths in total.
    Control is not easy; but it is possible.

  18. KM Avatar
    KM

    @charon :

    He is too stupid for that level of strategizing.

    You’re assuming it’s an active strategy and not instinctively lashing out and punishment that could be mistaken for a plan. Trump is many things but that man’s in touch with his lizard brain and inner Id. If he loses, he wants us to *suffer* for it – it’s part of the pathology of both the malignant narcissist and the abuser. COVID spread is a feature and since it clearly didn’t kill him, he literally doesn’t give a damn if anyone else survives since he’ll be fine (or so he assumes). He knows holding these rallies causes infections and death knowing what he’s doing. He may not be actively thinking “Imma gonna ruin Biden’s whole winter by doing this” but rather “hah, hope that bastard suffers”.

    It’s no mistake it’s his own followers that will get the initial brunt of it and their friends and loved ones that are secondary infections if they happen to be asymptotic. Enemies must be punished but failures among the faithful are even worse. Every cult leader has told his people it’s their own fault when bad things happen to them for following the cult. A ton of MAGAts will die for having attended the rallies or hanging out with those who did; those who survive will lose family and friends having infected them in their zeal. Over 700 knowns deaths so far of rally attenders from 18 rallies June 20 and Sept. 22 alone. This isn’t their intention and there’s no official plan to do this. It’s the nature of MAGA – true zeal kills and you’re just supposed to accept that. Trump gets off on a subconscious level knowing these idiots willing come to die for him; they’ll stand crowded together, screaming themselves hoarse with praise, stand abandoned in the cold for hours afterwards and die for the privilege. A shirt was seen at a recent rally – “My son died from COVID but I’m still voting Trump!” If you think he hasn’t internalized that, I’ve got some bridges to sell you.

    3
  19. Mikey Avatar
    Mikey

    @KM:

    “My son died from COVID but I’m still voting Trump!”

    I…got nothing. There is simply nothing one can say to counter that level of devotion to the cult.

    I’ve sometimes said with considerable snark that Trump could rape and murder a Trumpist’s own mother in front of them and still not lose their support, but that wasn’t meant literally. Apparently it could have been. Good God.

    3
  20. Jax Avatar
    Jax

    @Mikey: That’s pretty much how my biological Mom is taking it, after her own Dad died of COVID. She’s blaming it on China. Taking it seriously and wearing her mask, at least, but still blaming China and voting for Trump.

  21. keef Avatar
    keef

    Cases is irrelevant. “Stopping” the virus is a fool’s errand. No country in the world has “stopped” the virus. Sweden let it run its course. Hence its current admirable state.

    Deaths are another matter. But you don’t want to talk about that.

    Purely political.

  22. Grewgills Avatar
    Grewgills

    Drew, you forgot your zero hedge link.

    1
  23. Mikey Avatar
    Mikey

    @keef: Sweden is a shitshow compared to the rest of Scandinavia, you imbecile. It’s anything but admirable.

    It’s you Trumpist morons who don’t want to talk about deaths because your orange debacle is responsible for so many.

    4
  24. Steven L. Taylor Avatar
    Steven L. Taylor

    @keef: The current seven day rolling average of deaths is 850 a day.

    2
  25. DrDaveT Avatar
    DrDaveT

    @keef:

    No country in the world has “stopped” the virus.

    Well, except for all those that did. We gave you the list the last time you spouted this tripe. You are a slow learner.

    Sweden let it run its course. Hence its current admirable state.

    Sweden did worse in health outcomes than any other northern European nation, AND didn’t protect its economy from crashing. Plus the new cases per day has quadrupled in the last month in Sweden. Admirable.

    Your talking points are sadly out of date. Have you tried emptying your browser cache?

  26. JohnSF Avatar
    JohnSF

    @keef:
    See my post upthread.
    Countries that have “stopped” the virus: Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam etc.
    (Possibly China)

    You could at least TRY to see if reality matches your assumptions before you start proclaiming your wisdom.
    As for Sweden, their outcomes have not been good, it has NOT “run it’s course”, and is shifting to “local” lockdowns to try to regain control. They are currently spiking at 3 to 5k cases per day, with a horrid exponentiation. Hospitalisations and deaths will inevitably follow with the normal lag pattern.

    Responding to a problem by retreating into fantasy is folly.

  27. charon Avatar
    charon

    @Mikey:

    Sweden is not doing as much as the other Nordic countries, but it is still doing more than the Trump team advocates. Also, the Swedish public has a more serious attitude and behavior than American Republicans generally have.

    1
  28. Steven L. Taylor Avatar
    Steven L. Taylor

    @charon: And that is very much worth noting.

    The notion, driven by some in the right-wing media, that Sweden has done no mitigation and is fine is an utter fantasy.

    1. As you note, they have done more than, say the Dakotas. (And certainly, more than Trump has advocated.
    2. They aren’t fine. Not on cases. Not on deaths. Not on economics.

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