A summary of data reporting issues around the US: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/i-m-looking-truth-states-face-criticism-covid-19-data-n1202086 (link replaced 5/25/21). One link in (the original link) article leads to a discussion and comparison of public alert systems for coronavirus, quite useful: https://preventepidemics.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/STAYING-ALERT-Navigating-COVID-19-Risk-Toward-a-New-Normal_final.pdf .
More data suppression concerns: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/27/bad-state-coronavirus-data-trump-reopening-286143 (link replaced 5/30/21).
Some articles from Florida media on data “issues”: https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/article242557271.html . And: https://www.sun-sentinel.com/coronavirus/fl-ne-coronavirus-florida-pneumonia-flu-deaths-spike-20200417-lkel6rlik5blhd5zdktkrxhzze-story.html (links replaced 11/22/20). There is other media out there suggesting that there are excess deaths in other states attributed to flu or pneumonia, but I haven’t seen detailed data on that.
CDC: There is a “statistically significant” underreporting of COVID-19 nationwide: https://www.thedailybeast.com/floridas-seen-a-statistically-significant-uptick-in-pneumonia-deaths-the-cdc-says-its-likely-covid (link replaced 6/2/2021).
A sobering view from the Washington Post: Plan for the virus to be here forever: https://www.ltsscenter.org/the-coronavirus-may-never-go-away/ (link replaced 5/30/21) .
A sensible plan from a former CDC director: https://www.vox.com/2020/5/26/21270703/coronavirus-deaths-us-world-covid-19-nursing-homes (link replaced 5/30/21).
This ain’t good: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/medicine/mrc-gida/2020-05-21-COVID19-Report-23.pdf . This study is driven by the combination of coronavirus data and mobility data, and concludes that around half the states do not have the pandemic under control (virus reproduction rates greater than 1). Suggest you look at pages 8 and 9 to start …
Here’s an article based on the above study: https://www.eatthis.com/us-states-coronavirus-outbreaks/ (link replaced 5/24/21). Texas appears headed for Texas-sized problems. It may be that the discovery of 700 cases in the Amarillo meatpacking plant reported previously is exaggerating the Texas calculations …
Still struggling with: Is it re-infection or a testing problem? https://news.yahoo.com/recovered-but-testing-positive-cases-aboard-navy-carrier-raise-questions-about-coronavirus-immunity-170104312.html (link replaced 1/20/21).
This ain’t good either: Animal transmission to humans: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/05/coronavirus-from-mink-to-human-cvd/?cmpid=org=ngp::mc=crm-email::src=ngp::cmp=editorial::add=SpecialEdition_20200522&rid=0E04D5187958FAC015ABAB0A9ACC44CE
Nor is this: Clark County, WA, is part of Portland’s SMSA, as previously mentioned: https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/clark-countys-move-to-phase-2-on-pause-due-to-packing-plant-outbreak/ (link replaced 5/31/2021).
WSJ: Bad developments in Africa: https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-might-become-fixture-in-africa-for-years-11590238801?mod=djemHL_t
More bad developments in our hemisphere: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-latam/who-says-the-americas-are-new-covid-19-epicenter-as-deaths-surge-in-latin-america-idUSKBN2322G6 (link replaced 11/22/20).
The tangle of COVID-19 and politics: https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/columbus/ap-online/2020/05/25/trump-demands-immediate-answer-from-governor-on-rnc-capacity (link updated 11/23/20). Several things of note here: With the RNC convention scheduled for NC, it figures that the Democratic governor would draw fire from the White House. In the Imperial College study above, NC’s current R0 is about 1.05. Pence calls out three states for their re-opening efforts: Texas, Georgia and Florida, all large states with Republican governors and battlegrounds in the Presidential race. Between the actual data in these states and the data manipulation concerns in Texas and Florida, this appears to be an ill-advised gamble by Pence. It will be interesting to see where this goes over the next few weeks.
Herd immunity still looks like a failure in Sweden: https://www.npr.org/2020/05/25/861923548/stockholm-wont-reach-herd-immunity-in-may-sweden-s-chief-epidemiologist-says
The US government is failing our healthcare workers: https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/62000-healthcare-workers-in-the-us-have-tested-positive-for-the-coronavirus-the-cdc-says-the-number-is-likely-far-higher-/articleshow/76034857.cms .
And now for something completely different: Potential good news on the research front: https://www.statnews.com/2020/05/21/coronavirus-hijacks-cells-in-unique-ways/ Does it irritate you when people say things like “400% lower”? How do you feel about “10,000-fold lower”? It’s good news …
Closing with Need2Know’s comment on the Hertz bankruptcy: R.I.P. to a company that survived having OJ Simpson as its spokesperson but couldn’t survive the coronavirus.