daily COVID sitrep where you are

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

I have the sinking feeling that in the near future I'm going to see this beginning a new wave where I am. I would enjoy being entirely wrong.

Our rural areas here are beginning to be hit with the Delta variant. Our rural areas are on record as overwhelming vaccination disinclined.

It is estimated that 10% of our new cases are Delta. Current best data available reports I can find at this time is that 43.6% of my state is vaccinated with one dose and 37.6% are fully vaccinated

The same thing is going on in our neighbor state. According to their data 43.4% of their population has initiated vaccination and 37.7% have completed vaccination.

One of their hospitals has just issued a plea on social media for their residents to get vaccinated, painting a somber picture of the crisis now unfolding at hospitals in the area.

"Bed capacity is strained. ED waits are long. COVID patients are younger, sicker and unvaccinated."

In some their areas, COVID cases are five times higher than before the delta variant was introduced locally.

I'm not finding information that as a demographic teens & young adults are against vaccines, it's just not high on their list of things to do.

I went to our walking distance Dairy Queen yesterday. All employees I saw were unmasked. All employees I saw were teens.

I won't be going there anymore.

[RoneKiln]

I have the sinking feeling that in the near future I'm going to see this beginning a new wave where I am. I would enjoy being entirely wrong.

If you're right, you're far better prepared and experienced to handle it this time around.

40% vaccinated plus the recovered infected people may not be enough for herd immunity, but it still puts the general population much further ahead than we were 1st time around.

[sheddi]

Sunday June 27, 2021.

Family:
We're all well. Mrs Sheddi and I have both been fully vaccinated with the Astra Zenece vaccine. The four of us continue to self-test with UK Gov't-supplied lateral flow test kits weekly (it should really be twice weekly) for school and work.
Last week I had my first social outing with people who weren't family members since March 2020 

Local area:
The local case rate is 54 cases per 100k people, up slightly (2%) on last week. Day-to-day life is mostly normal-ish. There are still restrictions on the number of people who can gather in indoor spaces (up to six people at a table in a pub or restaurant) and you're still expected to wear a mask in shared indoor spaces, except when eg. eating or drinking. Most people are sticking to the rules most of the time.

National:
Vaccination is still going strong. 84.1% of over-18s have received at least one dose, and 61.6% have received two. The current national case rate is 123 cases per 100k people; that isn't awful but back at the start of May it was under 20, so up 6x in 8 weeks. Deaths, however, remain mostly flat; up from a low of about 6 deaths daily to about 11 (or from roughly one per million pop, per day, to two per million pop, per day). It's been suggested that vaccination is making cases less serious even where it isn't preventing them completely.

[RoneKiln]

We have a record breaking heat wave in my area right now and it seems to have been the tipping point for people to stop wearing masks. Four days ago near everybody wore masks in public and kept space in lines at the grocery store. Today when I ran errands, hardly anyone was wearing masks, all the markings for keeping space in store lines is gone, and the world looked pretty much the same as before the pandemic.

[RoneKiln]

That reminder is much appreciated, RoneKiln. My resiliency is taking a big hit right now; I'm so tired of it with health/age/living arrangements/a virus like the Energizer bunny that keeps going & going that my perspective is off balance.

Architecture in casinos is interesting. They are literally designed to cause depression. No outside light, odd garish colors, nondescript ceilings and carpet floor patterns too busy and garish for a healthy mind to easily process. The depressing atmoshphere heightens the addictive nature of the games.

Modern media is interesting...

What local adventures are available to you? Anything on the far end of town that's interesting to you but too far to easily visit? What can you go explore?

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

40% vaccinated plus the recovered infected people may not be enough for herd immunity, but it still puts the general population much further ahead than we were 1st time around.

Yes! That's right!

😄 I had to come back here just to read that again to help counter balance my reaction to having just read Missouri & LA County's Delta stats as well yours and the rest of the West Coast heat wave stats.



I've been giving a lot of thought to your:
"What local adventures are available to you? Anything on the far end of town that's interesting to you but too far to easily visit? What can you go explore?"

Good ideas there.

Adventures. One of the things I've most enjoyed all my adult decades. All around my country. Well, until 2020 because now- no car, having gone Public Transportation & bicycle a couple years back. Boy, I sure came to regret not having that car during this pandemic didn't I. 😄 😀



covid sitrep
Monday June 28, 2021
Kansas
My county

(14 day rolling average)
- ↘ Average daily case count. 1.43
- ↗ Average positive rate. 1.0%
- ↗ Current active cases. 49
- ↔ Current hospitalized. 2
- ↔ Total deceased 88
- ↘ Incidence rate per 100,000. . . 16.63

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

Friday July 2, 2021
Kansas
My county

(14 day rolling average)
- ↗ Average daily case count. 2.0
- ↗ Average positive rate. 1.1%
- ↗ Current active cases. 50
- ↗ Current hospitalized. 4
- ↔ Total deceased 88
- ⬆ Incidence rate per 100,000. . . 23.28

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

Tuesday July 6, 2021
Kansas
My county

(14 day rolling average)
- ⬆ Average daily case count. 2.71
- ? Average positive rate. ?? not posted, may be irrelevant because only the ill are being tested to see if it's covid/not covid?
- ↘ Current active cases. 47 (-3)
- ↘ Current hospitalized. 3 (-1)
- ↔ Total deceased 88
- ⬆⬆ Incidence rate per 100,000. . . 31.59

A study published June 23, 2021 in the journal of the American Medical Association examined outcomes in 15 Kansas counties that adopted face-covering orders from mid-July to December and results in 68 counties that chose not to require residents to put on a mask during that period.

Counties in Kansas that instituted mask mandates experienced significantly lower rates of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths compared with counties declining to take that precaution.

Elsewhere, the Institute for Policy and Social Research at the University of Kansas reported counties that adopted masking as a public health response during that same portion of the pandemic seemingly reduced cases of infection by as many as 35,000, hospitalizations by as many as 1,500 and deaths by as many as 500.

All masks mandates are now canceled and replaced with 'strongly encouraged'. Largely interpreted by people I run into as COVID is over.

Meanwhile, Kansas experienced another surge in new COVID-19 cases from the faster-spreading delta variant heading into the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

This may get interesting in a week or two, as in the curse "May you live in interesting times."

We have a case of flu in the building. Odd. I asked the tenant who took the ill resident to the hospital which flu, like HxNx. She said the flu variant started with a P.  Does anyone know of a flu variant starting with a P? I haven't been able to find one.

[RoneKiln]

We have a case of flu in the building. Odd. I asked the tenant who took the ill resident to the hospital which flu, like HxNx. She said the flu variant started with a P.  Does anyone know of a flu variant starting with a P? I haven't been able to find one.

Lazy gooogle search showed B and D types. Maybe she misheard.

I went grocery shopping this evening and I'd guesstimate maybe 1 in 10 people were wearing masks. The heat wave very abruptly ended mask wearing in my area. But I think we're over 80% of adults vaccinated here. I know we blew past 70% nearly a month ago.

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

I think we're over 80% of adults vaccinated here. I know we blew past 70% nearly a month ago.

Nice

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

Friday July 9, 2021
Kansas
My county

(14 day rolling average)
- ⬆⬆ Average daily case count. 4.0
- ⬆ Average positive rate.2.1%
- ⬆ Current active cases. 58
- ↔ Current hospitalized. 3
- ↔ Total deceased 88
- ⬆⬆ Incidence rate per 100,000. . . 45.55


Hot day. Still had to keep an appointment by walking (miles) or public transportation (anxiety re Delta fast growing numbers)

Chose both; two buses 'to' and trek home a couple of hours.

Added a couple of relevant items to my EDC for a trek in the heat, the sun, hydration, caffine, snack, a lightweight cushion for resting.

A success

Oh, remember the tenant with the flu? We now have five.
And more on the way if as much coughing that's going on says anything. btw- coughing open mouth, just puttin it out there for us to inhale. Once in a while I'll see someone coughing directly into their hand, rub their hand, rub their clothes. 

gag

But the flu, though. Was it just waiting around for the closely packed tenants to stop using any kind of covid contagion hygiene?

I wonder if we are a flu outbreak microcosm?

[sheddi]

Oh, remember the tenant with the flu? We now have five.
And more on the way if as much coughing that's going on says anything. btw- coughing open mouth, just puttin it out there for us to inhale. Once in a while I'll see someone coughing directly into their hand, rub their hand, rub their clothes. 

gag

But the flu, though. Was it just waiting around for the closely packed tenants to stop using any kind of covid contagion hygiene?

I wonder if we are a flu outbreak microcosm?

Your county's stats are going the wrong way, sadly. Ours are too (I'll post on that separately later).

It's also a bit worrying that you've got flu going around your building. COVID precautions should be effective against flu, too, so an outbreak of flu suggests to me that your fellow tenants are leaving themselves open to COVID

Stay safe, Ever, and take care of yourself.

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

Thanks, Sheddi.

In my building there is a small shift in increased mask usage which is a bit of a comfort.

For some exercise outside today I found a place that has a gentle upward/downword slope to it which I enjoyed walking. In a soft rain. Brought a lift to my spirits.

Have developed a tasted for carbonated tea. For increased water preps I bought a bunch of 2 ltr bottles with carbonated water, because I wanted the bottles. Don't know what gave me the idea to use carbonated water in my tea, probably just another What if I? moment.

Thought for awhile today my internet connection was wonky. Which reminded me of how dependent I am on my Kindle for communication and streaming services during this time while I still don't feel comfortable gathering. But after trying several modem resets I called the company help line. Happily eventually discovering my Kindle just wanted a reboot.

It did give me pause though.  Especially in the face of my county's Delta variant climb coming in from our July 4th national celebrations.

Wednesday July 14, 2021
Kansas

Stats from my county Health Department 14 day rolling average:
- ⬆⬆ Average daily case count. 5.61
- ⬆ Average positive rate.2.9%
- ⬆⬆ Current active cases. 89
- ↗ Current hospitalized. 4
- ↔ Total deceased 88
- ⬆⬆ Incidence rate per 100,000. . . 60.69

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

nmh. Data I can reasonably confirm on case numbers in my county as well as the state have me mulling over another bug in since we do have a number of mobile coughers as well a defiantly ill tenant, all just hanging out in areas I can't avoid when going in and out of the building or even just my apartment.

Plus in conversations outside I talked to two tenants, one of whom just returned from a vacation in Arkansas, the other from a very large family gathering in Salina so I see a sensible need for heightened awareness of my situation in this large apartment building with well over a hundred apartments, none of which have independent entrance/exit availability to the outside.

Being fully vaccinated now I have higher confidence in surviving COVID were I to contract it. Even though odds of me getting it this wave are currently statistically super low, I cannot but be aware of the growing numbers of breakthrough hospitalizations and deaths. Still in the .000something of the 150 million or so vaccinated, but my crowded living circumstances increase the possibility of it hitting us again, increasing my odds. Which I'm not so comfortable with.



Friday July 16, 2021
Kansas

Stats from my county Health Department 14 day rolling average:
- ⬆⬆ Average daily case count. 6.71
- ↗ Average positive rate. 3.2%
- ⬆⬆ Current active cases. 89
- ↗ Current hospitalized. 5
- ↔ Total deceased 88
- ⬆⬆ Incidence rate per 100,000... 78.14

[sheddi]

My long-overdue update. Monday July 19 2021.

Family:
All well and COVID-free. We're continuing with the lateral flow tests, although aren't always remembering the "midweek" test so the 3-4 day tempo is more like 7 days. I'm working from home 2-3 days a week and visiting the office on the other 3-2 days. Mrs Sheddi is self-employed and almost always works from home. Experiment #1 has finished school for the summer, Exp. #2 has another three days.

Local area:
The local case rate is 406 cases per 100k people, up 95%  on the week (and remember it was 54 per 100k on June 27 when I last reported here). So pretty much doubling every week, which IS NOT GOOD. Last week, when I was out & about, most people were still keeping their distance and wearing masks indoors but that might change; see next paragraph.

National:
Today is "Freedom Day" (yes some people are really calling it that, including the Daily Telegaph) for England. Mass gatherings (sporting events, music festivals, nightclubs etc.) are back on, pubs & bars are no longer limited to table service only, masks and social distancing are no longer a legal requirement. The main restrictions remaining are quarantine if (a) infected, (b) an identified contact of someone who is infected, or (c) arriving in England from a high-risk country.

However, the national case rate is 376 per 100k (up 43% on last week), there have been 4300 hospital patients admitted in the past week (up 39%) and 283 COVID-related deaths (also up 39%). And this is despite the vaccination program going well; almost 88% of adults have had at least one dose and 68% have had two.

Did I mention that our Secretary of State for Health, who is fully vaccinated, tested positive over the weekend and is currently in quarantine?

I have a bad feeling about this ...

[lurkedthere]

Snip...
I have a bad feeling about this ...

Ditto. I'm surprised the scientists are not making more noise about this.

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

<^^^ brief shudder>

So today I was missing the outdoors mightily, brought on by the arrival, unpacking, and testing out my new sterno Inferno ultralight camp stove.

Then I got to wishing my apartment was a rustic cabin-ish place, on the edge of a medium size city (1-2 hundred K± population), in a small-ish living area, with small rustic housing on three acre plots. 

And the bugs that bite, sting, itch, suck, spread disease, caused harm....  didn't do that. Nor would snakes insert venum into humans.

This pandemic is not as much fun as one might think it would be. 😄

But at least in that housing area I could be outdoors while it's happening. I could sleep in a tent in my yard. I could cook over a campfire. Sit around a campfire at night. Have big dogs and a cat.

I really miss the outdoors.



Monday July 19, 2021
Kansas

Stats from my county Health Department 14 day rolling average:
- ⬆ Average daily case count. 8.64
- ↗ Average positive rate. 3.6%
- ⬆⬆⬆ Current active cases. 127
- ↘ Current hospitalized. 4
- ↔ Total deceased 88
- ⬆⬆⬆ Incidence rate per 100,000... 100.59

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

After playing with my new toy yesterday (sterno Inferno cook stove) I got to What if-ing? about sterno with my little EmberLit wood burner camp stove. I have an empty small size Frito Bean Dip can I'd been hanging onto and wondered if the sterno can would lock with it, setting it high enough in the EmberLit to cook with. It locked perfectly so the flame was maybe an inch from the top. Then I pulled out my Stanley 20oz nesting camp set to use for the pot, and some aluminum foil from top of the EmbetLit to just under the lid of the Stanley to mimic the Inferno channelling the heat directly to the pot.

Added 12oz water, uncooked quinoa, some canned okra, some canned carrots, canned chicken, dehydrated onions, dehydrated spinach, dried fruit, Tony's Cajun spice, olive oil. When everything was on a good boil added couscous. Snuffed the sterno five minutes later.

Cook time 32 minutes made an almost too full pot of thick thick tasty stew.

So I now if I need them I have two sterno indoor cookers for disaster loss of electricity hot food and drinks.
👍

I think I'll add a good supply sterno for actual cooking to my preps. Texas last winter struck home with me. Even though I'm used to ice storm power lines down, the Texas one. man oh man. Or the power grid could get hacked and go down these days. And of course we have tornadoes and microbursts that regularly knock out the power, once in a while upwards of a week.

Yeah, more sterno now that I know how to cook with it.


Wednesday July 21, 2021
Kansas

Stats from my county Health Department 14 day rolling average:
- ⬆ Average daily case count. 9.5
- ↗ Average positive rate. 4.0%
- ⬆⬆⬆ Current active cases. 157
- ↘ Current hospitalized. 3
- ↔ Total deceased 88
- ⬆⬆ Incidence rate per 100,000... 110.57

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

Family:
All well and COVID-free. We're continuing with the lateral flow tests, ... Experiment #1 has finished school for the summer, Exp. #2 has another three days.

Local area:
The local case rate is 406 cases per 100k people, up 95%  on the week (and remember it was 54 per 100k on June 27 when I last reported here). So pretty much doubling every week, which IS NOT GOOD. Last week, when I was out & about, most people were still keeping their distance and wearing masks indoors but that might change; see next paragraph.

National:
Today is "Freedom Day" (yes some people are really calling it that, including the Daily Telegaph) for England. Mass gatherings (sporting events, music festivals, nightclubs etc.) are back on, pubs & bars are no longer limited to table service only, masks and social distancing are no longer a legal requirement. The main restrictions remaining are quarantine if (a) infected, (b) an identified contact of someone who is infected, or (c) arriving in England from a high-risk country.

However, the national case rate is 376 per 100k (up 43% on last week), there have been 4300 hospital patients admitted in the past week (up 39%) and 283 COVID-related deaths (also up 39%). And this is despite the vaccination program going well; almost 88% of adults have had at least one dose and 68% have had two.

Did I mention that our Secretary of State for Health, who is fully vaccinated, tested positive over the weekend and is currently in quarantine?

I have a bad feeling about this ...

BBC Radio 4 has a show that I get on podcast called Friday Night Comedy. Their episode Dead Ringers, 16th July, Friday was all over this. Even down to the lateral flow tests.

Only 29 mins but too funny. I found it online in case you're ever interested in giving it a listen.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02pc9pj

Just scroll down to: Dead Ringers, 16th July, Friday


(Experiment #1 and Experiment #2 😅 )

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

Friday July 23, 2021
Kansas

Stats from my county Health Department 14 day rolling average:
- ⬆⬆ Average daily case count. 11.29
- ↗ Average positive rate. 4.6%
- ⬆⬆⬆ Current active cases. 193
- ⬆ Current hospitalized. 6
- ↔ Total deceased 88
- ⬆⬆⬆ Incidence rate per 100,000... 131.35