Is it bad there??

[ua_guy]

1 in 800 residents of North Dakota has died of COVID. In 8 other states, at least 1 in 1,000 has died from it.

Covid has killed more Americans in 9 months than the flu killed in the past 5 years combined, and it's still getting worse.

I don't think most people can put in perspective number like 1 in 800 or 1 in 1000; compared to the size of most people's social circles or groups at work, I think there's still a sense of safety in those numbers.

Framing Covid as 5 times more deadly in the US than the flu in the last 9 months alone is a statement which generates a little more heat and urgency. If it's just another flu, then, I think that's an appropriate comparison. Covid, "flu" has the potential to become the number one killer above heart disease and stroke here.

I'm not surprised. People who understand infectious disease have been saying this could happen, and here we are. It's not rocket science.

[disneysteve]

I don't think most people can put in perspective number like 1 in 800 or 1 in 1000; compared to the size of most people's social circles or groups at work, I think there's still a sense of safety in those numbers.

Framing Covid as 5 times more deadly in the US than the flu in the last 9 months alone is a statement which generates a little more heat and urgency.

That's probably a good point. Being a city guy, 1 in 800 or 1 in 1,000 is meaningful to me. I work for an employer with over 10,000 employees, so I can easily think, gee that means at least 10 of us likely have died. But if you're rural or have a very small circle, the number might be more abstract to you.

[bjl584]

That's probably a good point. Being a city guy, 1 in 800 or 1 in 1,000 is meaningful to me. I work for an employer with over 10,000 employees, so I can easily think, gee that means at least 10 of us likely have died. But if you're rural or have a very small circle, the number might be more abstract to you.

It's abstract to me for sure.
I'm in a rural area.
There might only be 800 people in my town

It's definitely a different perspective than someone who lives in an urban area and is used to tight quarters and large crowds.

[QuarterMillionMan]

In Los Angeles (not sure about the death rate) but during the low spike was about 1500 new cases a day, today the high is 7500 new cases today. It is getting bad. Hospitalizations are spiking.

[Like2Plan]

I saw this article in the WJS yesterday
Covid-19 Likely in U.S. in Mid-December 2019, CDC Scientists Report

https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-likely-in-u-s-in-mid-december-2019-cdc-scientists-report-11606782449

Here is another similar article (in case the WJS article is behind a paywall)

Coronavirus was in U.S. weeks earlier than previously known, study says

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/12/01/npr-coronavirus-was-in-u-s-weeks-earlier-than-previously-known-study-says

I think the virus was well seeded in the northeast by the time anyone was aware of it . Also, there were probably Covid deaths that were not recorded as such because no one knew (no Covid test, for example).

[mumof2]

I have to say that our country is doing pretty well..we have 25million people...and only 908 deaths in total...820 of them were in 1 state...my state has had only 4 deaths...we were doing well and had no community cases since april...then a couple weeks ago we got a few cases in the community and had to go into lockdown again...we now have to use the app with every store we go into and wear a mask...that way they can trace where people have been...we have had no community cases in 6 days now...and hopefully it stays that way....but I think we are doing a great job here...up until a few weeks ago life here was pretty normal.

[mumof2]

[QUOTE=bjl584;n717503]Here are the most up to date stats available from the CDC on North Dakota.
These are from 2017.

Covid is clearly more dangerous than the flu.
Looks like 147 deaths that year from the flu or 1 in every 5100
Heart disease tops the list with 1300 deaths or 1 in every 586


I think the difference is that with the flu there is a vaccine and for covid there isn't...we had such stringent rules here for sanitizing everything from carts/hands etc and wearing masks and social distancing during our flu season that we didn't really have any flu here like we do every year

[disneysteve]

I think the difference is that with the flu there is a vaccine and for covid there isn't.

That's true, but people didn't seem to comprehend that. Lots of folks were, and still are, saying Covid isn't a big deal. It's just like the flu. NO, it isn't just like the flu. It's way more serious and way more deadly. Will that be better once there is widespread vaccine adoption? Probably. But until then, it's a major global threat.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Today at noon in Los Angeles cell phone emergency alerts were blasting saying due to the rise in COVID rates everyone stay at home and only go out for essential things/services.

[QuarterMillionMan]

[disneysteve]

Today at noon in Los Angeles cell phone emergency alerts were blasting saying due to the rise in COVID rates everyone stay at home and only go out for essential things/services.

Let’s hope people listen, and that the rest of the country does the same.

[disneysteve]

The reality, unfortunately, is that far too many Americans are more concerned with their personal "freedom" than they are about the impact their behavior has on those around them. Tens of millions of people traveled over the Thanksgiving holiday, and will do so again over Christmas.

And trust me, I've already seen the outcome in the form of rapidly climbing Covid cases in our healthcare system. We're getting dozens of positive results back every day. Our hospital census jumped by 10 patients today alone and is up by 136 compared to 30 days ago. I talk to a lot of these patients and the stories are often similar. They "only" had a "small" gathering and thought everyone was being careful. They "isolated" before they went and got tested in advance. And now multiple people who attended their little soiree have Covid. All for some turkey and pie.

Even healthcare workers who should certainly know better aren't immune from stupidity and selfishness. We're seeing an alarming number of employees testing positive. They aren't catching it at work because they're taking proper precautions there. They're catching it when they go out with friends or visit family or take a vacation or go to a wedding or attend church.

It needs to stop. It needed to stop a long time ago. But people just want to keep acting as if the pandemic doesn't exist. Unfortunately, ignoring it doesn't make it go away. In fact, it makes it so much worse. The next 6 weeks or so are going to be catastrophically bad.

[mumof2]

Im glad we have the protocols that we do here in australia...our state has only 4 deaths...even with the small outbreak we just had (17 community cases)...we go into lockdown and it stops it dead in its tracks..we have govt tracers...wish you guys had similar protocols...it really works for us...it works out that our death rate is around .003 per population...whereas Americas is around .09...but I think that would change if you had protocols like ours...I pray for you all...I can only see it getting worse just like disneysteve said when people travel for christmas/new years it will just travel with them....I really think that covid hotels work well as well as our police who monitor those in quarantine

[disneysteve]

Im glad we have the protocols that we do here in australia...our state has only 4 deaths...even with the small outbreak we just had (17 community cases)...we go into lockdown and it stops it dead in its tracks..we have govt tracers...wish you guys had similar protocols...it really works for us...it works out that our death rate is around .003 per population...whereas Americas is around .09...but I think that would change if you had protocols like ours...I pray for you all...I can only see it getting worse just like disneysteve said when people travel for christmas/new years it will just travel with them....I really think that covid hotels work well as well as our police who monitor those in quarantine

I have a good friend in Australia (Melton). As much as she has hated the lockdowns, she is absolutely horrified by what has been happening in the US. We talk almost every day and the stark difference between how the two countries have handled things is insane. Your government took it very seriously. Ours has all but ignored it. The results of each approach are blatantly obvious. I have no doubt that it will get better under Biden but it will be too little too late. The damage is already done.

[mumof2]

I have a good friend in Australia (Melton). As much as she has hated the lockdowns, she is absolutely horrified by what has been happening in the US. We talk almost every day and the stark difference between how the two countries have handled things is insane. Your government took it very seriously. Ours has all but ignored it. The results of each approach are blatantly obvious. I have no doubt that it will get better under Biden but it will be too little too late. The damage is already done.

I have to agree with her..I have so many family and friends in the US and I hate to see what they are going through...a few have had covid themselves and thankfully survived it....our paper today said that australia as a whole has had no community transfers in 7 days now...since feb 2020 when it first started...that means right now we don't have any covid cases in the community in our country...can you say amen...hopefully it stays that way...but we are doing amazing!!...I feel for you guys and I think with christmas and new years coming up its only going to get worse there