Pandemic: Life on the ground

[Gunnar]

California is doing relatively better than average compared to the rest of the country. New cases and hospitalizations have leveled off and are trending downward, and vaccination rates are still rising, with 69% of the state having received at least one dose, and 56% fully vaccinated. Unfortunately, despite 63% of California voters having voted against Trump, California's population is so huge, compared to any other state, that there are still more Trump supporters in California than in any other single state.

The Northern California county I live in is one of our state's red counties, and there is enough anti-vax sentiment that the percentage of fully vaccinated is below both state and national averages, and even lower than some of the red states. The total number of active cases and hospitalizations for covid-19 in my county is currently the highest it has been since the start of the pandemic, though even here the current trend is turning downward.

I dread the prospect that the recall election in California might succeed and result in Larry Elder becoming Governor, as he is an outspoken opponent of vaccine and mask mandates, and with him as Governor, California's current progress against the pandemic will almost certainly be reversed, and my state will start to resemble Florida as far as its pandemic situation.

[canpakes]

Turns out that the odds didn’t work out for Fred:

Florida councilman who denied pandemic now hospitalized with COVID-19


Fred Lowry, a Florida councilman who denied the coronavirus pandemic was real, has been hospitalized with COVID-19.
During Tuesday's council meeting, Volusia County Chair Jeff Brower announced Lowry's condition, The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported.

Lowry, a 66-year-old Republican councilman, was "in the hospital wrestling with COVID-19," the News-Journal first reported.
He had been sick for two weeks and was hospitalized on Monday for double pneumonia, per the outlet.

Double pneumonia is a lung infection that affects both lungs at the same time and can develop in cases of severe COVID-19.
It is not clear whether Lowry had been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Lowry, who is also a senior pastor at the Deltona Lakes Baptist Church, faced calls for his resignation in June for his remarks during a sermon on May 30, the Daytona Times reported.

A video of the sermon, which was posted on the church's Facebook page and but is no longer available, showed Lowry dismissing the seriousness of the pandemic, the News-Journal previously reported.

"We did not have a pandemic, folks. We were lied to," Lowry said, per the News-Journal.

He also questioned the results of the 2020 presidential election, denied that climate change was man-made, and repeated the belief espoused by QAnon that a cabal of Democrats run a child abuse rings, per the News-Journal.

[Res Ipsa]

Well, it's day 1 back in the middle school classroom for Ms. Ipsa. A couple hours in, and a staff person has already tested positive for COVID-19. She hadn't had close contact, so she isn't required to quarantine (yet). The person's identity is not disclosed, but it's pretty easy to tell who has gone missing. It's a staff member who has made sure every one knows that he or she isn't getting vaccinated because COVID-19 is just like the flu.

I haven't heard how many staff and/or students are now required to quarantine.

I'd love to be wrong, but I'm betting that they won't get through Friday before they have to start shutting down schools in the District.

[Doctor Steuss]

At my work, there are about 115 employees (70 office, and 45 field). Right now, we have 2 hospitalized, 13 on sick leave with positive tests (one of which has been on sick leave with COVID for 7 weeks now), and 12 quarantined, awaiting test results.

My little dude won a lottery spot for a charter school this year, and they have mandatory masks for everyone (other than those with an IEP or medical exception). No cases there yet. In the school district so far for this school year, there have been 2,026 cases (890 of which were in elementary schools). 1,255 of the school district COVID positive cases have been students.

This week, there have been 27 new cases. The most at any single school is 24 cases (at a high school).

[Jersey Girl]

Well, it's day 1 back in the middle school classroom for Ms. Ipsa. A couple hours in, and a staff person has already tested positive for COVID-19. She hadn't had close contact, so she isn't required to quarantine (yet). The person's identity is not disclosed, but it's pretty easy to tell who has gone missing. It's a staff member who has made sure every one knows that he or she isn't getting vaccinated because COVID-19 is just like the flu.

I haven't heard how many staff and/or students are now required to quarantine.

I'd love to be wrong, but I'm betting that they won't get through Friday before they have to start shutting down schools in the District.

I found a website that maps the outbreaks in our area, names the locations, and the number of cases involved. Maybe you have one of those and just haven' t noticed it? It may have been linked from the health department.

[Res Ipsa]

I don't see anything like that. It might not be practicable given the density of the urban areas in our county. The closest thing we have is a map by zip code that shows the rates of infection.

[canpakes]

Suburban Hospital.

(no link provided)

[Doctor Steuss]

The most at any single school is 24 cases (at a high school).

Out of curiosity, and for perspective, I looked up the student population of this high school. It is ~3,050.

[canpakes]

Suburban Hospital. Not rural. Not a dense city like Detroit or LA. Not a trauma center.

ER - more than half of the patients of interest for Covid are vaccinated.

Admitted patients - more than half are vaccinated.

Suburban Hospital

Season 1, Episode 1: It’s Just the Flu, Bro


Family and friends gather around Bob, a “patient of interest for COVID”, as the hospital awaits test completion and their chance to receive a briefcase of money if the result indicates infection by the media hoax ‘virus’.

[Res Ipsa]

At my work, there are about 115 employees (70 office, and 45 field). Right now, we have 2 hospitalized, 13 on sick leave with positive tests (one of which has been on sick leave with COVID for 7 weeks now), and 12 quarantined, awaiting test results.

My little dude won a lottery spot for a charter school this year, and they have mandatory masks for everyone (other than those with an IEP or medical exception). No cases there yet. In the school district so far for this school year, there have been 2,026 cases (890 of which were in elementary schools). 1,255 of the school district COVID positive cases have been students.

This week, there have been 27 new cases. The most at any single school is 24 cases (at a high school).

Keeping my fingers crossed for a COVID-free little dude!