Deaths per day continues to drop.
Not where I live. Here in Florida, everything is ticking up and no, the new cases are absolutely not due to increased testing.
Fact is: Since June 1 - testing has increased by less than 25%.
Fact is: Since June 1 - the avg number of cases has quadrupled - as of this morning the cases outstrip testing by five times.
Roughly two weeks ago I watched our governor, Ron DeSantis say this on national TV:
"Spike? what spike - we are not NY". (paraphrased to the best of my recollection:)
We may well hit over 10,000 cases in one day today - we've seen 8500 and 9500 cases in one day for several days now.
Hospitalizations are not peaking yet since it is the younger crowd who is becoming infected.
Many of the young would rather catch it and get it over with. I can understand that nevertheless, it is foolish.
It is unfortunate that this virus has been portrayed to be dangerous only to the old, it gives a false sense of security and immunity.
We should have communicated a hell of a lot better on social platforms that there is still a risk of damaging your health for life.
Point to the two 17-year-olds that just died right here in Florida.
The current cases - the average age in Florida is 37 and continues to
drop.
My particular county:
has around a 10% death rate due to the high number of nursing home deaths and that is not slowing down either.
has made wearing masks mandatory as of last week.
Sure, I'm happy about mandatory masks since I am in a high-risk group and staying home - I've only ventured out three times in over two and a half months.
Yet, Mr. R. is an essential worker ... we just do what we can to minimize our risk of exposure - disinfect - wear masks - keep our distance and try not to be anywhere more than 30 minutes indoors.
Masks have proven to be effective so WTH would you not wear one in the absence of any effective medications or immunization?
Everyone we know is taking this virus deadly seriously.
Still, it is only a matter of time until we get it. My hopes of avoiding infection until we have effective meds are dwindling.
There is a pub in Tampa that has been open on the sly for the entire time - the regulars just come in through the back door.
It is no different from the fools who refuse to wear a mask or pull it down to their chin or people who are convinced that God will spare them during Sunday service because they are so special and virtuous.
That is nothing but a reflection of how the White House has been addressing this virus. Denial is not an effective weapon in the face of a rampaging virus.
July 4th weekend is coming up and I'm wondering how many more cases that will bring within another two weeks.
It has been our local government - the mayors of St. Petersburg and Tampa who mandated mask-wearing and who are shutting down beaches.
The state opened bars and restaurants but many of the local restaurants and bars shut right back down voluntarily within a few days - too many employees who tested positive for the virus.
We all understand the economic devastation of a lockdown, but having a governor who simply wants to march forward regardless, dismissing the spike in cases is infuriating. The NY Yankees are leaving their Florida spring training to go back to NY where it is safer:).
Our hospital beds are slowly filling...
For this moment in time, the hospitalizations do not look bad but it stands to reason that as the young are infected and move freely about the rate of infections spreading to the over 60 crowds will increase.
Therefore in a few weeks' time, perhaps a month, we will see increased deaths as the hospitalized older population slowly passes away.
That is just common sense.
I get that the old people don't really seem to count in this big picture whether or not it is openly acknowledged.
Showing compassion is easy - wear the damn mask! Hell, I'll be happy to buy you one!
I was shocked to read that Florida is planning on opening up and allowing visitation in long term care facilities - now? for crying out loud.
All I'm hoping for is that we don't end up like NY because we sure as hell don't have a governor of the same caliber as Cuomo in NY.
Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany said back in January that she anticipates 60-70% of the population to come down with the virus by the end of the year based on the information and scientific projections she had at the time.....
Flattening the curve?
America's handling of this pandemic will go down in history as an epic failure.
Yet, I have been encouraged by several of the state and local government's handling of the virus.
How long can we wait? Oh, it will go up and down and spread and come back again and test everyone's mettle for all of 2020 and beyond.
It is likely there will only be survival of the fittest both from a health standpoint and from an economic viewpoint.
Imagining all of the consequences of this pandemic makes my head spin - interesting times we live in.
We may be ready to move on and be done with this virus - but the virus is not done with us yet.
Looks like Florida may be stuck with the worst-case scenario. Lockdown? I doubt it.