Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

In my day, never was longer.

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

The republican caucus is already covering themselves with something, and it’s not glory.

A dilettante blog from the great progressive state of West Virginia.

The words do not have to be perfect.

Conservatism: there are some people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

If you’re pissed about Biden’s speech, he was talking about you.

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

I like you, you’re my kind of trouble.

They’re not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

A Senator Walker would also be an insult to reason, rationality, and decency.

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

Today’s GOP: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

You are here: Home / Healthcare / COVID-19 Coronavirus / COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Saturday/Sunday, March 20-21

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Saturday/Sunday, March 20-21

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“We” always thought we could buy or bully our way out of a global pandemic:

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Excellent news, assuming it pans out:

One reason I chose to live in New England, Cynic that I am (Faulkner is in Boston):

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Reader Interactions

51Comments

  4. 4.

    NeenerNeener

    Monroe County, NY stats:

    New cases = 202
    Deaths at 1194 now

    1.7% positivity

    28.7% vaccinated with at least 1 shot
    104,633 people fully vaccinated
    213,080 people with at least 1 jab

    My sister and her husband get their 2nd shots this coming week (Moderna for him, Pfizer for her) and their son gets his first shot this week too. He’s been working the entire year and we’ve all been terrified that if he got covid he wouldn’t survive it.

  5. 5.

    YY_Sima Qian

    On 3/20 China reported 0 new domestic confirmed & 0 new domestic asymptomatic cases.

    Imported Cases

    On 3/20 China reported 12 new imported confirmed cases, 8 imported asymptomatic cases, 2 imported suspect cases:

    • Shanghai Municipality – 4 confirmed cases, 1 each coming from Taiwan, Niger, Hungary and Bulgaria; 2 suspect cases, no information released
    • Lanzhou in Gansu Province – 3 confirmed cases, all coming from Russia
    • Tianjin Municipality – 2 confirmed cases (both previously asymptomatic); 1 asymptomatic case, no information released, yet
    • Hohhot in Inner Mongolia “Autonomous” Region – 1 confirmed case, off a flight diverted from Beijing, no further information released
    • Jiujiang in Jiangxi Province (location not specified) – 1 confirmed case (previously asymptomatic), a Chinese national returning from Zimbabwe; the cases landed at Nanjing in Jiangsu Province on 3/1, passed through the 14 days of centralized quarantine and tested negative on RT-PCR multiple times, upon release from quarantine on 3/15 the case returned home in Jiangxi Province and tested positive in 3/16 and was diagnosed as an asymptomatic case, developed symptoms on 3/20 and was diagnosed as confirmed
    • Guangzhou in Guangdong Province – 1 confirmed case, a foreign national returning from Turkey
    • Dalian in Liaoning Province – 2 asymptomatic cases, no information released 
    • Xi’an in Shaanxi Province – 2 asymptomatic cases, both Chinese nationals returning from the UAE, off a flight diverted from Beijing
    • Fuzhou in Fujian Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from Japan
    • Xiamen in Fujian Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from the Philippines 
    • Nanjing in Jiangsu Province – 1 asymptomatic case, no information released

     

    Overall in China, 9 confirmed cases recovered, 16 asymptomatic cases were released from isolation & 4 were reclassified as confirmed cases, and 370 individuals were released from quarantine. Currently, there are 165 active confirmed cases in the country (163 imported), none in critical/serious condition, 238 asymptomatic cases (all imported), 4 suspect cases (all imported). 3,321 traced contacts are currently under centralized quarantine.

    On 3/21 Hong Kong reported 8 new cases, 3 imported & 5 domestic (1 of whom does not yet have source of infection identified).

  7. 7.

    Mary G

    Only 118 new cases in the OC today and hospitalizations are way, way down. California as a whole is way down as well. Cases down 36% from 14 days ago and deaths down 40%. So far, so good.

  8. 8.

    mrmoshpotato

    hard partying spring breakers trashed restaurants, brawled in the streets and gathered by the thousands without masks or social distancing.

    Feed the crocs.

  13. 13.

    Jager

    A friend’s grandson is on his “Senior Trip” with his classmates…a school-sponsored week at the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach during Spring Break. He said, “It will be okay, a bunch of teachers and parents are with them.”

    I said, “Gar, we went to high school together, you think we couldn’t get around a bunch of fucking teachers and parents?” BTW, His daughter and her husband have way the hell too much money, the kid’s room is $550 a night split three ways.

  15. 15.

    OzarkHillbilly

    Thru my wife’s company, we now have appts to be vaccinated on Tuesday in Herman. Thank dawg, now I can lose the splitting headache I’ve had from over a month of running into walls.

  18. 18.

    Central Planning

    One of my coworkers is in the hospital with COVID. Got steroids, antibiotics, and convalescent plasma. They were put on oxygen which changes your severity classification from moderate to severe. Critical is the next/last step on the severity list. To get out of the hospital, they need a 24-hour period of no fever when off of meds, otherwise there’s a mandatory week stay in the COVID ward and some sort of anti-viral therapy.

    One of my other coworkers had it too, but never had to go to the hospital. Sounds like they will be a long-hauler… a couple weeks after “recovering”, they were put on blood thinners because of clots in lungs.

    Everyone be careful out there. This shit is serious (not saying anything anyone here already knows)

  24. 24.

    lowtechcyclist

    Modest Mouse, “Lampshade’s On Fire”:

    Well, the air’s on fire so we’re moving on
    Better find another one cause this one’s done
    Waiting for the magic of the scientist’s glove
    To push, push, push, push, pull us up

    Spend some time, floating in outer space
    Find another planet, make the same mistakes
    Our mind’s all shattered when we climb aboard
    Hoping for the scientists to find another door

    The scientists look like they’ll manage to save ourselves from ourselves, thank goodness. Because while we as a nation could have brought this thing under control by being fucking grownups, wearing masks, maintaining social distancing and supporting the workers of the businesses most dependent on its absence, the conservatives’ response to the pandemic has been basically an abandonment of adulthood and responsibility.

    The magic of the scientists’ gloves will bail us all out this time (after half a million deaths domestically, and counting), but if the conservative movement as currently constituted (or worse) continues to thrive, we may not be so lucky the next time.

  25. 25.

    mrmoshpotato

    @lowtechcyclist: the conservatives’ response to the pandemic has been basically an abandonment of adulthood and responsibility.

    Let not leave out the selfish, shithead children who decided that Hillary could go fuck herself.  Would’ve been nice to have had an actual President…

  26. 26.

    p.a.

    Wonder how much of the Euro freedumb protests can be put down to Putin’s instigation/support?  In the Anglo-world he can just sit back and let Murdoch do the work.  I guess Rupert doesn’t think New Zealand is enough of a money source to try and ‘stupidify’ their Anglo population.

  27. 27.

    Chris Johnson

    @p.a.: 
    I’m gonna say ‘lots’ ever since I learned the extent of the anti-lockdown protests and the spread of QAnon there. A lot of that stuff is being generated to drive QAnon here: signs in English and such.

    My sense is that it’s a huge, huge effort to drive this stuff, internationally. One day it will come to light how stage-managed all this was.

    It’s interesting how different the approach is. It’s all about driving mass behavior through propaganda and manipulation, but the only feedback is like Google Analytics and Facebook data (like Cambridge Analytica). They’re spending a lot of money and resources directing people who are not reporting back in any traditional sense. This might be a weakness as there’s a lack of granular control. The lack of control is built in to the process.

  28. 28.

    Mousebumples

    Wisconsin vaccine update –

    Group 1C (adult with certain preexisting chronic conditions, including BMI >25) is eligible for vaccine starting tomorrow.

    UW Oshkosh, in my neck of the woods, opens up appointments every Friday at about 3pm for the next week. As of yesterday, they had a bunch of appointments available. Appears to be one of the mRNA vaccines, from the warnings indicated on the questions, as i was getting my MIL signed up.

    For those in Wisconsin, it might be a bit of a drive, but if you’re striking out locally,may be worth it?

  29. 29.

    Amir Khalid

    Malaysia’s daily Covid-19 numbers. Director-General of Health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah reports 1,327 new cases today in his media statement, for a cumulative reported total of 333,040 cases. He also reports four new deaths today, for a cumulative total of 1,233 deaths — 0.37% of the cumulative reported total, 0.39% of resolved cases.

    There are currently 14,518 active and contagious cases; 154 are in ICU, 65 of them intubated. Meanwhile, 1,247 patients recovered and were discharged, for a cumulative total of 317,289 patients recovered – 95.27% of the cumulative reported total.

    Five new clusters were reported today: Jalan Permas Baru and Jalan Gemilang Tiga in Johor; Jalan You City building site in Selangor; Bukit Tambun in Penang; and D Gana in Sabah.

    D Gana is a community cluster. The rest are workplace clusters.

    1,316 new cases today are local infections. Selangor reports 354 local cases: 123 in older clusters, 10 in Jalan You City building site cluster, 141 close-contact screenings, and 80 other screenings. Sarawak reports 274 local cases: 42 in existing clusters, 175 close-contact screenings, and 57 other screenings. Penang reports 205 cases: 73 in older clusters, two in Bukit Tambun cluster, 29 close-contact screenings, and 101 other screenings.

    Johor reports 138 local cases: 19 in older clusters, 57 in Jalan Permas Baru and Jalan Gemilang Tiga clusters, 44 close-contact screenings, and 18 other screenings. Kuala Lumpur reports 111 local cases: 64 in existing clusters, 21 close-contact screenings, and 26 other screenings.

    Perak reports 55 cases: 39 in existing clusters, 14 close-contact screenings, and two other screenings. Sabah reports 50 cases: six in older clusters, 197 in D Gana cluster, 17 close-contact screenings, and eight other screenings. Kedah reports 30 cases: eight in existing clusters, 14 close-contact screenings, and eight other screenings. Kelantan also reports 30 cases: six in existing clusters, 15 close-contact screenings, and nine other screenings. Negeri Sembilan reports 22 cases: 18 in existing clusters, one close-contact screening, and three other screenings.

    Terengganu reports 18 cases: 17 in existing clusters, and one close-contact screening. Pahang reports 11 cases: four in existing clusters, six close-contact screenings, and one other screening. Melaka reports 10 cases: six in existing clusters, three close-contact screenings, and one other screening. Perlis reports five cases, all found in other screening. And Putrajaya reports three cases: one close-contact screening, and two other screenings.

    Labuan reports no new cases today.

    11 new cases today are imported: four in Kuala Lumpur, three in Johor from an existing cluster, two in Sarawak, and two in Selangor.

    The deaths reported today are a 69-year-old man in Perak with hypertension, dyslipidaemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, adrenal insufficiency, and hypothyroidism; an 82-year-old woman in Kuala Lumpur with heart disease and a blood disease; a 66-year-old man in Sarawak with diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease; and a 73-year-old man in Selangor with hypertension, heat disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

  31. 31.

    Platonicspoof

    The anti-maskers and other problems could drag out the pandemic according to this study released March 18. Modelling includes various scenarios, but the one with vaccination alone isn’t sufficient without NPIs:

    • First modelling study looking at relaxing control measures (eg, mask wearing, physical distancing, and lockdown measures) and planned vaccination rollout in the UK suggests that vaccination alone may not be enough to prevent the spread of infection – with the R number estimated to be 1.58 even if the vaccine prevents 85% of new infections occurring, after vaccine rollout is complete and all other control measures are removed. (My Bolds). 

    More on the many variables and the unknowns at the Lancet article.

  35. 35.

    Amir Khalid

    Odd about the Indonesian Ulama Council’s allegation. There has not been a similar allegation from the religious authorities in Malaysia. I would imagine Big Pharma is sensitive to such issue which discourage people from accepting needed drugs and cuts into profits, and works to avoid them.

  39. 39.

    Platonicspoof

    Going to be too easy to remember the phrase in Anne Laurie’s third blockquote, “the arc of brutal consequences”.

    A while back I wondered what happened to the 1918 Spanish (Kansas?) Flu:

    “The 1918 flu definitely lost its real virulence by the early 1920s,” says Taubenberger.

    But what’s truly incredible, according to genetic analyses, is that the same novel strain of flu first introduced in 1918 appears to be the direct ancestor of every seasonal and pandemic flu we’ve had over the past century.

    “You can still find the genetic traces of the 1918 virus in the seasonal flus that circulate today,” says Taubenberger. “Every single human infection with influenza A in the past 102 years is derived from that one introduction of the 1918 flu.”

     

    Long CDC article on the laboratory reconstruction of the 1918 virus beginning with fragments from graves in Alaskan permafrost.

    (I have to leave for the store now.)

  40. 40.

    debbie

    I wonder if those ID legislators will have an increased respect for science after they get past this? ??‍♀️

  44. 44.

    Central Planning

    @rikyrah: I agree. Each of them are going to be dealing with the after affects for years. I know one of them got it from their spouse. I can’t even begin to imagine how I would feel if I infected ANYONE much less a loved one.

  45. 45.

    Suzanne

    So here in Allegheny County, cases are pretty level, about 350 new cases per day, more or less. And it’s been that way for about eight weeks. Deaths are down a lot, though. Kids are supposed to return to school on April 6, and I would feel better about it if our new cases were declining.

    Feeling much better today. Back and injection site still sore, but headache and fever and chills are gone.

  46. 46.

    Sloane Ranger

    Saturday’s figures from the UK. We had 5587 new cases. This is an increase of about 780 from Friday but a decrease of 7.5% in the rolling 7-day average. As of 19 March, the R number was 0.6 to 0.9. New cases by nation,

    England – 4732 (up @930)

    Northern Ireland – 159 (up 22)

    Scotland – 488 (down @170)

    Wales – 208 (up 7).

    Deaths – There were 96 deaths within 28 days of a positive test yesterday. This is a decrease of 36.9% in the rolling 7-day average. Deaths by nation, England – 82, Northern Ireland – 0, Scotland – 8 and Wales – 6.

    Testing – Not updated at weekends.

    Hospitalisations – On Thursday, 18 March there were 6162 people in hospital. On Friday, 19 March there were 830 people on ventilators. The rolling 7-day average for hospital admissions as of 15 March shows a reduction of 23%.

    Vaccinations – As of 19 March a total of 26,853,407 people had received the 1st dose of a vaccine and 2,132,551 had received both doses. Percentage-wise (is that a word?), 51% of over 18’s have received the 1st dose of a vaccine and 4%, both doses.

    General – The Government is warning people against booking foreign holidays this year and the EU in the person of Ursula Van Der Leyden, is complaining that the UK is hogging vaccines. An Irish politician has just been on the BBC saying that anger is growing because of the perception that the UK is importing vaccines from the EU but not exporting any. Given that several EU countries were talking down the AstraZeneca vaccine only a few months ago and then paused distribution for a short period only a few days ago, this position does not seem consistent.

  48. 48.

    The Moar You Know

    They’re gonna kill far more people with Clofazimine than they save, if it indeed saves anyone.  The side effects are substantial and very common

    Hydroxychloroquine part 2, except that this drug is far more dangerous.

  49. 49.

    MoCaAce

    @Mousebumples:

    From personal experience and that of friends and coworkers, if you are eligible in WI you can call or go online and get a jab within three days!  I think open to the general public will be coming early here.

    At work we had an email go out Tuesday that our company health care partner had extra vaccines to use up by weeks end so anyone at the company who wanted one could get a shot regardless of eligibility.  I had just gotten mine that morning.

  50. 50.

    Soprano2

    @OzarkHillbilly: Glad to hear it. I’m excited that my employees can get shots starting on March 29th. It’s crazy that they weren’t included in the group I’m in. Also glad everyone in MO can get one starting April 9th. I bet if you could talk to Parson and promise no one would ever know what he said,  he’d tell you that when it comes to COVID, it’s a godsend that Biden won. He’d never admit it in public,  but these governors can tell the difference in how the vaccine effort is being run.

  51. 51.

    J R in WV

    I find it almost unbelievable how quickly the incoming Biden administration has been able to get a nationwide vaccination effort underway~!!~

    Put the experts in charge, leave them to accomplish what they know how to do.

    A god-send indeed! So hard to believe that the state-level Republican administrations are still managing to fuck things up, even with examples of how to do it properly all around the nation, they still foment Covid break-outs. I guess not believing in science really harms everyone around the un-believer.

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