In Spain the death toll rose to 4,858 after 769 people died
over 24 hours, while South Africa recorded its first two deaths as a
three-week nationwide lockdown came into force.
The US is now leading all other countries with the most
reported cases of coronavirus.
27 Mar 2020
|
Cases
|
Deaths
|
Recovered
|
|||
8:30am
GMT
|
Yesterday
|
Today
|
Yesterday
|
Today
|
Yesterday
|
Today
|
World
|
487,433
|
536,820
|
22,026
|
24,117
|
117,557
|
124,429
|
US
|
68,594
|
85,612
|
1,036
|
1,301
|
428
|
1,868
|
NY
|
33,013
|
37,829
|
366
|
385
|
40
|
40
|
CT
|
875
|
967
|
19
|
21
|
0
|
0
|
NC
|
592
|
592
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
Documenting specific time of day because
real time data is constantly updating.
Tracking specific states: NY is US epicenter, son Reid lives in CT, and I live in NC.
Tracking specific states: NY is US epicenter, son Reid lives in CT, and I live in NC.
The US (NC specifically) is a house
divided right now. In a country of red states and blue states, NC is a purple-ish
swing state. We have a democratic governor, two republican senators, and a
republican controlled state legislature. One could argue that gerrymandering
and voter suppression helped get us to this point, though NC has a long history
of purple politics. Living in a house divided in NC usually means a democrat living
with a republican. During March Madness it could mean a Carolina fan living
with a Duke fan; oh the horror. But 2020 March Madness is the divide between
those who support doctors and scientists wanting to extend isolation to flatten
the curve living among others who are concerned about the economy and wanting
a swift return to normalcy.
Counted
is tracking public opinion. Right now 11% of Americans report wanting to end
the shutdown over economic concerns; 89% disagree. My personal point of view is
that we need to stay the course to flatten the curve. I trust doctors and
medical scientists. No one truly knows what is going to happen next, but
studying how the virus has impacted other countries should inform US policy at
the federal, state, and local levels. American and global economies will be
better positioned to rebound if we hunker down a little longer rather than risk
overload and breakdown of our health care systems.
This Covid-19
Bar Chart is a compelling illustration of the failure of the early US response
to the pandemic. We missed our opportunity to contain the virus in January or
February, so the best we can hope for now is mitigation through social
distancing and testing. South
Korea and Germany
are good examples.
HuffPost
coverage explains how right-wing pundits help the president build his argument
that restarting the economy is of utmost importance. In conservative homes
where Fox News is the most trusted source, viewers are exposed to specific
information (some call it propaganda) that differs from most other credible news
sources. I watch Fox occasionally, as well as CNN, BBC, ABC, CBS, Axios, and
Vice. The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Late Night with Stephen Colbert, and
This Week Tonight with John Oliver are fun favorites because they blend
information with humor and satire, a combination that entertains while it
informs, so you can laugh and cry all at the same time. More than watching TV, I
try to read news from as many different sources as possible, and I fact check to
look for bias and misinformation.
Most folks probably don’t immerse
themselves in pandemic news the way I’m doing. It’s likely too depressing or
perhaps too boring to slog through so much information. It actually comforts me
to learn about the virus, and to anticipate what might be coming. I’m not in
panic mode. I’m not wringing my hands or hoarding supplies. But I believe
things are going to get worse before they get better, and I’m trying to prepare
as best I can, emotionally as well as in practical ways.
Greg and I are taking steps to protect
ourselves so I’m not concerned about becoming infected myself, though it is a
possibility. Mostly I worry about family and friends who discount the threat of
the pandemic. They don’t think a mortality rate between 1% and 4% is worth
worrying about. It’s understandable they feel invincible right now because they
don’t yet know anyone personally impacted. As the number of cases continues to
rise locally, along with the number of deaths, I suspect at some point their attitudes
and opinions might change. I could be
wrong, but that’s my sense of things.
#DoctorsOnlyPressConferences has been
trending on Twitter for days. Some news
media have stopped covering Trump’s pressers live, giving editors time to fact
check before sharing specific information.
#IBelieveTara and #TimesUpBiden are also trending since Tara
Reade alleged Joe Biden sexually assaulted her. News coverage is limited, making
it unclear if her claims will be investigated, or believed by potential voters.
In personal news…
Reid received emails from UConn advising
him to pack up his dorm room belongings before Sunday, much faster than he had
been advised previously. He heard that some dorms might become field hospitals
but we can’t find any information about this online so for now it is plausible
but unconfirmed. Reid and Lauren have been trying to socially distance
themselves but their situation has become frustrating since they are in love
and want to be together. With the blessings of all the parental units involved,
Lauren’s family has invited Reid to live with them. After Reid graduates in
May, he plans to look for work and an apartment he and Lauren can share. I am
grateful Reid and Lauren have each other for support, and that her family is
willing to host Reid during this stressful time. When this pandemic is finally behind
us, I look forward to visiting CT as soon as possible so I can hug them all.
My 90 year old grandmother, who has a
medical history of respiratory infections, is the most physically vulnerable
person I know. One of my cousins lives with her and a few family members share
responsibility for her care. I am deeply concerned for her well being right now.
I wish I could put her in a bubble to protect her from the virus. I’m not a
religious person but I pray for her.
I’m also worried about my dad. He and I
don’t have much of a relationship, long story, but I still love him and care
about him. I’ve known for a few months that he had been diagnosed with prostate
cancer. Yesterday I learned it is stage 4 and has metastasized to his hip. I’m
struggling to process what that means for him, how he is feeling, how his
quality of life may be changing, and how long he will live. I’m enough of an
optimist to want to believe that he will live many (or at least several) more
years and that his quality of life will remain relatively good. But what I’ve
read about stage 4 cancer is not good at all. Aside from a handful of
text messages and emails, we haven’t communicated in years. I can’t fix all
that is wrong with our relationship, but I am considering reaching out to him
this weekend to check on him. Current pandemic anxiety level: 3, mild with no
interference to functioning. Anxiety level thinking about my dad: 8, very
anxious, can’t concentrate.
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