An interesting COVID-19 Global Map

Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE)
at Johns Hopkins University (JHU)

https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/ Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU)

Anyway, unless the government is withholding information from the public to me the measures being taken against COVID-19 seems an overblown response. I probably have a higher probability of meeting my end in a auto accident on the way to the store this afternoon. Or dying from the more familiar flu. Only the passage of time will reveal if it is justified or if the cure is more damaging than the illness.

Still an interesting map about where and where not this virus is expanding. That reveals some mysterious anomalies.

Interestingly Johns Hopkins was at the forefront of strategy against the 1918 Great Influenza. Having only recently, at that time, surpassed the medical knowledge in Germany [ Read “The Great Influenza - the epic story of the deadliest plague in history” by John M. Barry. Many people were fine at breakfast and dead by dinner time]

A popular children’s rhyme at the time:

I have a little bird
It’s name is Enza
I left the window open
And in flew Enza.

People always seek a way to deal with stressful situations.

2 Likes

COVID is a very serious problem in my State & County. The national - regional ECOM organization I am in has not been “activated” but has asked its members to begin submitting daily “County Status Reports” listing COVID cases to our State directors. I have noticed that the occurrence of new cases is not nearly as high as the recent “modeling” done in the UK predicted, possibly because last week the Governor issued some heavy restrictions on public gatherings and businesses. We’ve had to make a couple of quick shopping trips and see the shelves are bare of paper towels and toilet tissue. Thankfully we received our retirement checks and had made our normal big monthly shopping trip just before the real chaos began.

I got out last week but no fish sighted. This week we’ve had great weather all week but I’ve got a lot of yard and have been getting my initial springtime yard work done so in case I were to get sick there would not be several weeks of spring growth to deal with in addition to the initial cleanup from winter. I also prefer to fish on weekdays. There’s a lot of yard work left to do but I’ll have the highest priority-visibility stuff done tomorrow, which is Sunday.

The weather forecast is cloudy-with occasional showers beginning tomorrow night but the “year-round” rivers are at good levels now prior to warming temps and heavy snowmelt. The Solunar and AHPS CFS prediction tables look excellent for Monday so I will happily follow the Governor’s decree for self-isolation on a favorite trout stream.

The COVID modeling done in the UK predicted an exponential spread; being much more contagious than the flu, and a greater fatality rate without government intervention for isolation to help with suppression.
Significant new model of COVID-19 spread influences UK & US responses
IMHO, the government will have gotten it right if in hindsight people look back and think “that wasn’t so bad” and believe the government response was “overblown”.

Another virus has a huge lead, and a long history of similar numbers of deaths in previous years. Yet it doesn’t motivate the same severe restrictions. That’s why I wonder if “they” know something they’re keeping under wraps. Maybe it’s just the new unknown and therefore feared more or there’s some other motive for increasing the public’s fear.. In general I don’t much trust the “experts” in any field to get it right.

" While everyone is in a panic about the coronavirus (officially renamed COVID-19 by the World Health Organization), there’s an even deadlier virus many people are forgetting about: the flu.

Flu season is hitting its stride right now in the US. So far, the CDC has estimated (based on weekly influenza surveillance data) that at least 12,000 people have died from influenza between Oct. 1, 2019 through Feb. 1, 2020, and the number of deaths may be as high as 30,000."

[that’s only over 4 months] :thinking:

" So how do these numbers compare to flu deaths in previous years? So far, it looks like the 2019-2020 death toll won’t be as high as it was in the 2017-2018 season, when 61,000 deaths were linked to the virus. However, it could equal or surpass the 2018-2019 season’s 34,200 flu-related deaths."

"The fact that people are more concerned about COVID-19 than the flu virus is no surprise, says Dr. Adalja. “Anytime there is a new emerging infectious disease that is shrouded in mystery with a lot of unknowns, it captivates people in a way that a regular virus that people deal with on a yearly basis won’t,” he says. "

https://www.health.com/condition/cold-flu-sinus/how-many-people-die-of-the-flu-every-year

So yeah, hopefully after it’s over we’ll determine it was just the monster in the closet or under the bed. Never a huge threat after all. And we can do Sunday morning quarterbacking, be ticked off at the news media & politicians (we don’t much like them anyway) for the massive deaths of businesses. They will still claim the overreach stemmed the virus tide, whether it actually did or not. Thus far my 401k balance has only suffered a nasty bruise. I’d prefer it not collect any more. But even more I’d prefer COVID-19 (or the flu or anything else) doesn’t do me in , and I remain alive to spend whatever amount is left. :wink:

We’re inside one of the big red dots on the map and our retirement accounts have taken a hit also. I’m hoping we’ll stay healthy and still be living off of them for another 20 years or so. We’re doing well this year because of last year’s gains but we are hunkering down and postponing but hopefully not completely cancelling some plans we had made at the beginning of the year. We’re expecting a lean 2021 but if COVID doesn’t have the dire impact that was predicted, we pray the markets will rebound enough to allow us to take some action this year for easing the crunch we expect next year and will continue upwards for the long term.

Blessings and best of luck to all of you and yours.

1 Like

Coronavirus Horse Race.

Caution, if you’re offended by any of the forbidden 4 letter words. One is used at the very end of the race. Do not play the video.

Why not have a bit of fun with it. :smile: At least the horse race is not designed to look scary, which the global map with giant red circles is designed to be. :mask:

My view remains we have become characters in the 2004 movie, The Village. Fearful of leaving the village and venturing into the woods where the monsters live.

http://basementrejects.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/village-2004-movie-monster-creature-red-flowers-red-cloak-review.jpg

Abbott and Costello didn’t do it any better in their famous comedy routine, “Who’s on First”, vs This actual silly human interaction during the covid-19 shutdown. :roll_eyes:

A recent scene outside a florist shop in Maine.

“… As I parked in front of the local florist, one of the store employees came out to set down a pickup order on their sidewalk bench.

As I walked toward her, I said, “Hi, I’d like to buy some roses.”

Said she, ” You need to call the store and place your order.”

I replied, “Well you are here, and I am here within talking distance. Why not order from you?”

She replied, slightly annoyed, “You can’t do that. The rules require that you call the store and place your order.”

Momentarily flummoxed, I then pulled out my cell phone and asked, “OK, what is your number?”

Without missing a beat, displaying no sense of self-awareness, nor acknowledging the utter silliness of the moment, she pointed to the number on the COVID-19 notice taped to the door.

Since there are no other florists within ten miles, I called. I could hear the phone ringing inside the store.

She said, “Excuse me” and disappeared inside the shop.

I then placed my order with her on the phone, with credit card info, pickup time, etc…”

The rest of the story:

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/05/covid_virtuesignaling_absurdity_at_the_local_florist.html

https://www.baseball-almanac.com/humor4.shtml

later…

D

The Chase.

I live in the Pacific Northwest (too) near the COVID epicenter in the USA, where the first cases were diagnosed in a nursing home, and 37 patients-residents died. The Governor quickly took pretty drastic quarantine steps a few weeks before NY (city) did and as a result the infections peaked rapidly and newly diagnosed cases began a slow decline.

Back in mid-April I posted this on a regional FF site’s “Quarantine Humor” thread.
image

Besides the inconvenience of shortages in the grocery stores we had to cancel a planned trip to Tucson in June for my MIL’s 90th birthday. Mrs Brian has a painful condition that she’d like to get treatment for but non-life threatening surgeries are not permitted under the quarantine.

Also there were cancellations of two bookings for me to perform in the orchestras this spring and summer for two community theaters’ production runs of a couple of my favorite stage musicals; Sound of Music - acoustic guitar and mandolin, and Annie - archtop guitar and tenor banjo. I’ve been doing musicals for a long time and waiting for the opportunities to play those two. I don’t think my wife minds the cancellations though. It’s safe to say that mandolin and tenor banjo are not my primary instruments, and on top of a severe case of quarantine cabin fever it might drive her completely over the edge to hear me woodshedding the minutia of my parts; especially the banjo, over, and over, and over, and over, and over… (see the above pic, imagine day 60, and a bloody shovel!).

But last week restrictions were finally lifted for fishing (and golf). I’m not much of a “laker” and I hear there were a lot of folks out on the “opener”, with some crowded launch ramps. I waited for two days after the closure was lifted because even though I never see other anglers at the places I fish during the week, there are only three “year-round” streams within 100 miles from home, one was blown out, a lot of people are out of work, and there is a ton of pent-up frustration to get out of the house around here. The day dawned an absolutely beautiful sunny day. I took my time getting ready in the morning, maybe too much time. But as it turns out it avoided having to deal with other anglers on a stream with very little public access to the water and a fair number of fish that have always seemed to be concentrated in just a few “holes” per beat.

There was a car parked at the first stretch of water that I have occasionally fished so I drove past it to my favorite beat. There, two cars pulled up just ahead of me! I figured I’d let them work it out and went to a stretch I haven’t fished before. There was nobody parked there so I got out of the car and walked down to the water. It looked pretty good from what I could see at the access. I had it to myself all the glorious day, and landed several trout to 12" (and one LDR) with a Tenkara rod.

1 Like

Yeah, it’s crazy time. With government officials grabbing power they don’t legally have. And they’ll hold onto to it, like a dog gnawing on a bone, until they are forced to give it up. Many appear to be making policies that do more harm than help. Georgia is being heavily criticized for relaxing restrictions, yet their covid-19 cases are dropping. And the states criticizing their actions the most appear to be enacting polices that are increasing their numbers of infected.

I was just reading two online stories from Washington state. That stated they are going to require restaurants to keep logs of customers and their contact information for thirty days. And they were also going to require anyone with an infected family member to also quarantine at home.

Bummer about your planned trip to Az. I read a similar story online. About a family that had to cancel a planned annual trip to Maine. Where his wife’s family lives. Because Maine is requiring anyone coming from out of state to quarantine for 14 days. [however, the in-laws could travel from Maine to visit them, but not have to quarantine themselves when they return to Maine]. That is as goofy as people I see out shopping, wearing masks, but with their noses exposed. Plus many of them keep fiddling with the masks, thereby touching their face. Crazy, no common sense time.

I used to work with a guy from Cincinnati that had previously been a professional violin orchestra musician. He left the profession for two main reasons. Saying you had to be very very good to stay in an orchestra, and had to live music 24/7. None of his companion orchestra members ever wanted to talk about anything other than music. Stating as much as he loved music after rehearsing all day he wanted to talk about or do something different. None of them did. Go out to a restaurant after rehearsal, and the only thing they’d want to discuss was music. He got burned out. Adding too that the girls in the orchestra would rather date one of the other girls, and the boys preferred a date him rather than with one of the girls. He decided electronics was the profession to pursue. But also said he still greatly missed playing music at various types of events

My son has been having a health problem for some time. I was not much aware of it as he has lived five hours away, in Ohio, for 4 years. He put off getting it checked into due to poor health insurance. He changed jobs partly to get better coverage. But he had to be employed there 3 months before it fully kicked in. We encouraged him to get it checked out sooner, and we would pay for it if needed. But 20-something year olds, are like 2 year olds. They want to do everything themselves. By the time he had insurance coverage that would pay for the needed test. Routine testing became verboten due to Covid-19 policy. But last I heard his test may be rescheduled soon. :smiley:

Anyway, the powers that be are making decisions as if life was without risk before covid-19 came along. It isn’t.

My wife provided a prime example earlier today during her drive home from our vacation house. She hit a deer on I-64. 94 miles from home according to the tow truck driver. She and her Mom are fine. The deer is dead, and possibly her van too. It’s far from being a new van, and the insurance company said it may need to be written off as totaled. If it’s close to being totaled, I hope they do. That may be better than saving a vehicle that barely escaped the junk yard. Sure if she had stayed home she wouldn’t have hit the deer, but every trip risk an auto accident or other risk.

Very inconvenient timing as the plan is to drive to Topsail Beach Friday morning. Where I am hoping the seafood restaurants are open , and not a pain in the neck to get into. My goal at the coast is to eat so much freshly caught seafood I won’t want to eat fish or shrimp for a month or two after coming home. :smile:

Hurry, Olivia ! We are going to miss the hairdresser, and little league coach stonings !

https://www.gocomics.com/mike-lester/ When is too early, er late , to reopen America ?

Thankfully with the right equipment you can always go camping. Cook some food on the fire and not think about the whole mess.

Thanks @dwalker. Yes Crazy times but it is what it is and I’m happy to say that Mrs Brian and I are blessed to be in generally good health, and have a stable income with our investments thus far.

I am recovering from COVID-19.

I HAD IT FOR SIX HORRIBLE DAYS until I received my drugs of which brought me back from the brink. I am on an experimental drug study, a blind study but immediately got better after starting.

This is a killer virus, I know.

We must do all we can to stop it.

Take it seriously.

You don’t want this, it can kill you.

Do everything you can to not get it.

3 Likes

Here’s hoping for a full recovery Adam. Take care.

1 Like

I am back to work tomorrow, symptom free for longer than required.

Nasty virus.

It can kill.

I was super sick, just wanted to let go. Wasn’t time yet…

I don’t want it again.

We all are not out of the woods yet.

Arizona is the #1 hot spot in the world right now, that’s what they are reporting on the national nightly news.

I’m pretty sure the respected COVID-19 trackers are reporting.

Stay away from AZ, be smart, take this threat seriously.

3 Likes

I’m grateful that you are on the mend and didn’t let go! I hope your wife and family are healthy and can avoid the virus. We’re all cheering for your full recovery!

-Tom

1 Like

Wife and son negative.

Social distance, mask and surface wipe like nobodies business.

1 Like

Adam, sorry to read you contracted this illness. Pleased to read you survived it, and are on the mend. Lucky timing that it happened after medications that are effective, for most people, were discovered. Hope it doesn’t come back, as some reports I’ve read seem to indicate not all people who have had it remain immune to it after recovery.

2 Likes

What are effective medications? I got sick on June 26th. Four days, I had a high fever. I took aspirin and paracetamol. Five days later, all symptoms disappeared. There was only one left, a complete lack of smell. I do not smell. The doctor prescribed Arbidol, I drank it. The first test was done on July 2, it is positive. The second was done on July 11, but the answer is not yet known, the laboratory is not working. While I’m at home.

Vladimir,
Here’s hoping your next test is negative and your sense of smell returns.

3 Likes

David, thank you, I feel great, only the smell hasn’t returned yet.

2 Likes