30 Replies to "CORONAVIRUS: Sunday 7/5 roundup"

• Smittytheclown July 6, 2020 (6:48 am)

  US deaths continue to decline despite case spikes that started three weeks ago.   Market taking notice despite national media blackout and continued focus on “cases”.  Let’s hope it holds.

  • Lin July 6, 2020 (9:39 am)

    If the majority of new cases are from young folks then death rate should be a lot lower. And doctors have better understanding of this virus and better treatment would also mean less people will die. It is important to know that cases are spiking however, so people who are high risk or living with people who are high risk can take extra precautions.We’re in our 30s and healthy, but our parents are high risk and half of our friends have preconditions that make them high risk. We cannot visit them, and they still practice stay-at-home. 

    • Stay well July 6, 2020 (10:11 am)

      Even though it appears currently the virus is spiking in a younger population, it’s still concerning because the increase in cases means it will be passed on to even more people, including older groups and those with vulnerabilities. There is just no way to completely protect everyone who may be vulnerable to the virus.

      Also, there have been numerous reports of this virus taking down individuals who are younger and with no known pre-existing conditions.

      I don’t see any reason at this time to relax our concern level.

    • Smittytheclown July 6, 2020 (10:58 am)

      Spot on. Good for you.If we are not careful then cases will lead to hospitalizations which will lead to deaths.  If deaths start to surpass prior weeks then you can guarantee it will be the lead on CNN.  As of now, they don’t even give it a mention. 

  • Stay well July 6, 2020 (9:58 am)

    Yes, let’s hope so.

    However, it’s reasonable to expect some increase in deaths is soon to follow the current increase in cases, considering how serious the virus has proven to be. I don’t see any reason to be enthused at this time, considering the climbing positive percentages (not just increased testing).

    It is tragic for anyone to have to suffer from this virus. Hopefully, there may be fewer deaths going forward due to improvements in treatment and hospital protocols and preparedness.

    But, we really should focus on doing all we can to reduce transmission and preventing cases in the first place. And I think that comes down to improved leadership, and individual actions and responsibility.

    Let’s see how things look in a few weeks, and in the meantime, be cautious and responsible.

• Craig July 6, 2020 (9:45 am)

  Amazing how hard it is to get tested! I decided this morning (Monday 9am) to get tested, but the White Center Neighborcare Health didn’t answer the phone – I was on hold for 31 minutes with no answer, but I’ll call back again after the morning rush. King County’s testing SODO testing facility is booked until late Thursday afternoon (4 days from now), and filling up fast. I assumed there’d be more fast access to testing. 

  • sam-c July 6, 2020 (10:38 am)

    I seem to recall a press conference in the Rose garden, where CVS was going to have all the drive thru testing that our country would ever need!!!   What do you mean it’s hard to get a test ??!?      /s

  • JCW July 6, 2020 (10:59 am)

    This was our experience too. We were recommended to get tested last week Mon during a virtual visit with the pediatrician, got a last-minute spot at NeighborCare in High Point after another phone call with a nurse, and 1 of 3 results are back today. Even if you get tested ASAP, there’s still a delay in getting the results. We too couldn’t get through to SeaMar in White Center and saw a 4-day wait for SODO. If the UW mobile clinic is here on Fri, I’ve heard that’s among the fastest. If you have a little kid – we were told that Children’s can test them and has a 4-hour result timeframe. (They won’t test the adults tho). Our 4mo old got swabbed last week, but we were cautioned that not every community testing site will swab infants. 

  • Erin Oliveira July 6, 2020 (8:17 pm)

    Family members, on two separate occasions, have gone down to the SODO testing site without appointments and have been tested right away. They were unable to get timely appointments so just drove up. 

• KLC July 6, 2020 (11:03 am)

  Could somebody report some actual useful local information: like how many people in King County and Seattle are in the hospital with COVID? How many in intensive care? How many new deaths?   Change from yesterday? What is the local trend?  Those are the numbers that matter.  Statewide and countrywide numbers are worthless for knowing how restrictive we should be locally. Take a look at Vancouver BC: Health Minister has a presser every day to report where the numbers are in 4 regions of BC with daily hospitalizations, daily deaths, daily ICU numbers. All very low BTW. They are doing a much better job than Washington, not to mention the rest of the country.

  • WSB July 6, 2020 (11:24 am)

    The local info is above and has been every single night for four months. And if you want even more local details, King County has 6 different “data dashboards” linked here: https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/covid-19/data.aspx

    We check the local zip code breakouts daily and make note in the roundup if there’s an additional death.

  • Canadian Here July 6, 2020 (11:46 am)

    Your comparing apples to oranges.  Canada has been 100% focused on Covid.  The two parties have come together to aid their people during this pandemic.   From day one PM Trudeau has respected science and has asked the country to come together and fight this war.   There is no question up there about wearing a mask….they all wear one to show our solidarity and patriotism to Canada   

    • uncle loco July 6, 2020 (1:59 pm)

      Wow, Canada sounds awesome! I can’t imagine why you’d be here instead of up there. Won’t they let you through the border?

      • ScubaFrog July 6, 2020 (3:58 pm)

        Every country on earth has handled this better than the US.  Countries with populations of billions are doing much better.  Open the country in the midst of a pandemic?  Sure!  Masks?  What masks!So yeah.  And the median age for infection is 15 years younger now, I’m not sure if that will mitigate deaths or not.The fact is America’s leaders have FAILED the pandemic, and thus failed America.   But trump’s bored of it now, “we’ll just have to let it take the pandemic take its course” – dirty trump, as his new focus is golf and racist tweets.

        • Smittytheclown July 6, 2020 (6:17 pm)

          Factually untrue. Our much lauded EU friends have not fared better.  Facts. Data. Science. 

  • Lisa July 6, 2020 (2:27 pm)

    @KLC – Dude!!! How could you have missed all the local info in this and every nightly post since this started?? 

• Um, No! July 6, 2020 (2:03 pm)

  I’m just glad we can now have home Seahawk games take place since it’s now been proven that mass outdoor gatherings in close proximity  are perfectly safe and don’t lead to spikes in the infection rate as long as everyone (most) wears a masks. No mask, no entry.   WooHoo!  Go Hawks! 

  • heartless July 6, 2020 (3:20 pm)

    Um, no.

    • Um, No! July 6, 2020 (3:50 pm)

      Not a football fan? 

  • Smittytheclown July 6, 2020 (3:50 pm)

    I’m with you UM, NO! Tens of thousands gathered together nationwide day after day and caused no spike (according to one, non peer reviewed anecdotal-yet-official looking-review.). Let’s play! 

  • Matt P July 6, 2020 (5:55 pm)

    Been proven where?  I’m pretty sure it’s actually just the opposite: a football (soccer) match in Bergamo, Italy is what set off the deadliest outbreak of the virus so far.  Masks will make a difference, but there’s also a difference between a march in the open air and a partially closed in stadium where no one is moving.

    • heartless July 6, 2020 (6:05 pm)

      Matt:
      Yeah, they are just being dumb, either on purpose or to troll.

      As an example, the study that one of them references–they either choose to believe it or not as the mood fits, which is a funny sort of logic.  And beyond that, the study itself never supposes that protests don’t result in transmission, rather it points out that the increase in transmission a) isn’t being tracked (thus no VISIBLE spikes) or b) is off-set by people avoiding restaurants and bars because of the protests.

      And of course they are ignoring the difference in motives between marching to protect lives and…watching football. 

      When people show you who they are, believe them–and remember.

    • Um, No! July 6, 2020 (9:28 pm)

      Sorry,  forgot to use the “sarcasm font”.  

• J July 6, 2020 (3:39 pm)

  An article for Smitty the Clown, and anyone else. It’s about death being a trailing indicator, and other reasons why this drop may be temporary, and not as encouraging as numbers look currently. It also talks about long-term morbidity. https://www.vox.com/2020/7/6/21314472/covid-19-coronavirus-us-cases-deaths-trends-wtf

  • AMD July 6, 2020 (4:30 pm)

    Smitty is trolling, J, and will find some new chart to show when he favorite one doesn’t support his narrative (there’s a reason he’s focused on deaths now instead of infections, and showing the US chart instead of local data).  For the others, a reminder that preventable illness is not something to be blase about, that getting sick has long-term consequences for MANY survivors, and that when hospitals are full of COVID patients, people are more likely to die from other causes such as heart attacks and car accidents due to delays in care.  Infections are a problem in and of themselves, and we should work to keep them as low as feasible by wearing masks, and not grouping up indoors.

  • Smittytheclown July 6, 2020 (4:35 pm)

    Good read, thank you.  Wish the MSM would mention the death rate decline.  Pretty sure they will if it rises!  The spikes started three weeks ago yet death rates continue to decline.  Look at NY during the start.  They actually had a one week lag. Younger people getting it.  Under age 70 the death rate matches seasonal flu.  That’s somehow sacrilege to state, but it’s data.  Facts.  Science.  You are probably right.  Death rates may rise slightly over the next few weeks, but will still be low compared to the beginning when most people were elderly.  This is not denial.  This does not mean don’t wear a mask.  It’s just data. Facts. Science. 

• anonyme July 6, 2020 (4:17 pm)

  I heart you, Heartless.

  • heartless July 6, 2020 (6:06 pm)

    Thank you.  You’d be surprised how nice that was to read.

    • Vic July 6, 2020 (6:21 pm)

      I also appreciate you. 

    • Stay well July 6, 2020 (8:02 pm)

      Aw, I heart both your comments!

Sorry, comment time is over.