I don’t remember how many tests were involved but there was a report in DC maybe a week ago that entire batches of tests from two of the walk up testing sites were inconclusive because the samples had gotten too hot. Made me a little less confident about results from outdoor testing facilities in hot, sunny areas (so, basically, most of the US right now, but especially the South)
Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit drugs and alcohol.
4 Likes
For the youngsters in the crowd
7 Likes
Basic cloth masks will stop a great majority of the particles from going into the air.
There is 0 chance they don’t help.
Oklahoma with 13 deaths today. Their highest total since April 13th.
The death rate is pretty variable across states, but is generally in the 2-3% range when looking at the ratio of (7da deaths) to (21-day lagged 7da new cases). That being said, it’s really frustrating to try to figure out what metrics are most useful to look at, because it’s not remotely clear how tests (and therefore cases) are influenced by things like sample composition of who’s being tested, testing and lab capacity, etc.
What I’ve settled on for now is focusing on per capita state-level new cases combined with state-level recent CFR. For these two measures, testing capacity and sample composition should kind of wash out: If a particular state has tons of capacity and everyone is being tested, they’ll have high case counts (which will tend to include relatively more asymptomatic cases) offset by lower CFR (because the case counts will include the relatively greater number of asymptomatic cases). If a state is really constrained in testing, we’ll observe higher positive rates and artficially low case counts, but a higher CFR because of the artificially low cases.
So if we look at new cases by estimated recent CFR, the worst possible outcome is to be in the top on both of those measures:
So not only is Florida generating a huge absolute number of new cases, they’re generating a huge number of cases on a per capita basis. But the real story to me is that (according to my subjective focus), it’s all about the south:
Florida
Louisiana
Arizona
Mississippi
Alabama
South Carolina
Texas
Nevada
Georgia
Tennessee
Looking ahead, I think this is the group of states likely to experience the most per capita deaths in the coming month.
3 Likes
I agree they help but when the numbers continue to grow in a month I foresee the majority of people casting them aside. Re: They are uncomfortable and people are getting sick anyway. We both know that AS MANY people are not getting sick because of mask wearing but Karen & Blake are particularly results oriented. Like if freedom infringing mask wearing doesn’t flatten the curve … why wear it?
I wonder what the obits say.
RNA is pretty fragile. If they’re not putting the samples in at least a -20 C freezer for the week, there’s no way they’d last, even with stabilizers added to the mix.
1 Like
Lets play “Am I the crazy one?”
Got a request to interview for a job, in person, at a correctional facility. I asked instead to be interviewed over the phone or on Skype.
I’m not the crazy one here, right?
6 Likes
Uh no. I’m really sorry you’re in a spot where you’re being forced to apply at a correctional facility.
4 Likes
No worries, its an accounting job through the state.
Not my first choice of position I would want through the state, but beggars/choosers/etc
Oh, I assumed they were storing these at -80. gjge if they’re just throwing them in a regular freezer for a week or two.
Oh sure. Yeah I’m surprised they want you to come in for that. Depending on the situation I’d probably show up with my tail between my legs if I needed it badly enough. Beggars and choosers etc.
You’re definitely not crazy though.
MN governor to mandate indoor masks 
3 Likes
You’re definitely the crazy one. How can you expect them to hire you without testing out your handshake?
12 Likes
In every lab I’ve been in or worked with, -80 space is precious, so I’d be pretty shocked if they were storing large numbers of samples intended to be processed in a relatively short timeframe in them.
Heritagenothate has some thoughts guys. This is of course after trump came out for masks so not sure how the clown squares that.
So they say wear a mask because you could spread the covid…So this poses a few questions - how many people have it but don’t know? If I tested negative today, why should I wear a mask? Are we assuming everyone has it? Nobody knows, so we just assume everyone does and you need to wear a mask in case you do? It is said that one person can spread this exponentially- so with roughly 4M confirmed cases - exponentially could be 10s of millions infected who never/haven’t sought treatment. Yet we act like it’s somehow possible over the past 6 months (minimum) that we still have giant pockets of people all over the country who haven’t been exposed, but most likely will be at some point in the future and we need to protect against that by wearing masks and possibly shutting down again. Really?
Also - the mask mandate - “you don’t love your neighbor! You don’t care about people! You’re too selfish!”
So how do I know if I have it? I don’t unless I get tested I assume. So let’s assume I DON’T have it - why do I need a mask?
Let’s say I got tested today and don’t have it - why do I need a mask?
Let’s assume I do have it - do I need a mask? Probably so, I also probably should stay home more than anything. So if they are “mandating” everyone wear a mask - we are more or less assuming everyone could have it thus needing a mask to “protect others.”
If everyone is mandated to wear a mask because they could have it, we more or less could say everyone does have it. In which case, there’s no danger.
“Don’t worry about Grandma, dying alone in the nursing home. She has dementia and is scared, but she surely understands. It’s for the greater good.”
“Don’t worry about losing your business, the dream business that you opened with a second mortgage on your house… oh, and don’t worry about losing your house. It’s for the greater good.”
“Don’t worry about your child’s depression because she can’t figure out how to navigate the online classes and she misses her best friend. It’s all for the greater good.”
“Don’t worry about your Aunt who can’t get treatment for her cancer. Her sacrifice is saving lives…just not hers. It’s for the greater good.”
“Make sure you call CPS on your neighbor for letting her kids go outside to play! Don’t worry when the stranger takes her kids while they cry out for their momma. It’s all for the greater good.”
“Don’t worry about the looters and people burning down your town. They’re peaceful. It’s all for the greater good.”
HOW DID THEY CONVINCE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO:
social distance
mask up
have no funerals
forcibly homeschool while still taxing us for public education
stay in our homes
stop going to church
forfeit incomes and personal businesses
turn on our friends and neighbors with a phone number
hug our grandparents through plastic
thoroughly have us on the verge of civil war with each other.
ALL TO TURN AROUND AND TELL US THAT MOST OF IT IS NIXED AND COMPLETELY NEGATED, IF WE WANT TO:
protest
riot
kill even more people
loot businesses (many already on the brink of bankruptcy)
deface national monuments
destroy our cities
defund & disband our police
set everything on fire
…and all the while, we’re allegedly at tremendous risk of an oh-so-deadly virus that can be diagnosed without official testing, or with so-called testing being counted & reported dishonestly, and reported on death certificates even if we die by falling off a cliff…
…and even though it’s super “dangerous”, the things that actually keep us healthy, like:
health food stores
farmers markets
garden nurseries/seeds
gyms
health facilities
chiropractic centers
naturopathic health centers
outdoor activities and parks
are taken away. But:
cigarettes/alcohol
fast food joints
Walmarts
were deemed Essential??
THINK ABOUT IT. THINK HARD. IT’S RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!
4 Likes
lol
14 Likes
Honestly while this is complete gibberish it is more coherent than most right wing garbage these days.
1 Like