COVID-19. The virus emerged in Wuhan, China, back in late 2019, and became a global pandemic in just a few short months. This post will be updated as time goes on.
April 2, 2020 – An estimated 40% of the public is now wearing masks. Two weeks ago, I would have estimated 10% of people wearing them. I can’t believe that on March 15, just a little over two weeks ago, I was having dinner with two friends at a restaurant, wondering just how bad this was going to get!
Today, we hit a grim milestone: over 1 million cases worldwide, with 52,000 deaths (a 0.05% mortality). The United States accounts for 236,040 of these, with 5,632 deaths (0.02% mortality).*
The US response is beleaguered in politics, and I blame the president for this. At first there was denial, then dodging of responsibility and thereby culpability, then finally heeding the advice of the CDC/NIH/Dr. Fauci and resorting to strategery, using the pandemic as a platform for re-election. Caught unprepared, the US was forced to prioritize masks for human healthcare workers. If Americans could overcome their xenophobia and wear masks as well as follow recommended guidelines (and if our leaders would promote a unified approach not only with our country but with others as well), transmission would be slowed, lives would be saved, and we would not be where we are now. The epidemiological models are terrifying, but their existence is a prediction, and the steps we take today will shape what our tomorrow looks like.
March 16, 2020 – Harris County announced a closure of restaurants for dine-in; to-go orders are allowed. People must maintain a distance of 6 ft apart. The order had been set for two weeks, but was extended on March 31 to last until April 30.
Sources:
Johns Hopkins Map