32 thoughts on “C-19 Chat Post – November 18 2020”
I know that in the vast web of tragedies and suffering we are witnessing, live music might seem easily dispensable. But, an email this morning from Scott Hayward, owner of the Tupelo Music Hall, has me feeling very sad and angry.
I love seeing shows at the Tupelo. Scott and his team have been doing an amazing job during the pandemic through innovation and positive thinking. They converted the entrance of the building into a stage and held a long and successful drive-in concert series while the weather allowed. Now they are carefully and thoughtfully preparing for indoor shows with just 20% capacity.
This just brings me to tears. If people just did what they should…. it might not stop it, but we know it would make a big difference.
I came here to share this, but your post SClarke made me wonder if Scott is considering the same. I just got tickets for this. I also believe….not positive yet….Boston ballet will be showing the nutcracker on NBC10. I need to find out if verizon has that channel
Yes, a one-hour broadcast of Boston Ballet’s Nutcracker will be on TV six times between Thanksgiving and Christmas:
NBC on 11/28 and 12/25 at 7pm
NECN on 11/29 and 12/12 at 7pm
Telemundo on 12/5 at 11am and
12/25 at 5pm
All the info is on bostonballet.org
I listened to an Arkansas health official and a doctor from Vanderbilt and a second physician….cannot recall from where…on NPR as I drove to pick up groceries this am
Joshua has been cautioning is that there are logistical issues to overcome with the vaccines and indeed there are.
Pfizer vaccine as you know need to be kept at -70C. The minimum order for the vaccine is 975 which eliminates smaller medical groups. It requires a series of end user steps for it to be administered correctly.
Moderna hopefully can be released in smaller numbers. It needs to be at only -4ish degrees. Can’t recall whether C or F.
Both need a second dose. Pfeizer minimum between doses is 21 days, modernas is 28. Neither seemed to give a maximum number of days but I suspect that is in the individual dosing directions.
Hopefully the day will come when a vaccine will be on an annual or better yet, a once-in-a-lifetime basis. Having to get a shot every 30 days is not practical, very inconvenient. Maybe I am misunderstanding?
Even local shutdowns will hurt the economy and cause businesses (not just restaurants) to close permanently.
Sadly I believe Boston Mayor Walsh is just “itching” to do just that as he keeps threatening at every press conference.
A shutdown will bring mass panic and wipe out grocery shelves once again. It has already happened throughout the city of Chicago.
SClarke, thank you for sharing the Tupelo Music Hall story. As I mentioned before, I think many Americans are willing to pay a small Covid tax to support small businesses. In some ways a tax is preferred, in my view, to relying on voluntary donations. I think that when everyone has to chip in a little you create a sense of solidarity.
There is some potentially good news on vaccines possibly delivering long-term immunity, in which case, Philip’s desired once in a lifetime or once in a while dosing might work.
Unfortunately, I am unable to read these NY Times articles via my phone unless I “subscribe”. I believe this applies to the Washington Post as well.
I know everyone’s heart is in the right place in sharing but unfortunately with newspapers today I guess it is either “subscribe” or “goodbye”.
Thanks anyway Joshua. I get the gist of your response regarding the vaccine.
🙂
I think that oh your computer you should be able to access NY Times articles on the coronavirus without having to pay. I don’t have a subscription, but can access the Times articles on Covid.
That is correct. The NY Times has provided free access to most Covid-related articles all along.
There are simple ways to get around the requirement for non-Covid articles as well, if you feel OK with that.
I don’t own a computer anymore. Just my phone. I don’t understand why some newspapers discriminate against phones. I am certainly not going to go out and buy a computer just to read an article here and there.
Times have certainly changed. It’s ok. Thanks again anyway Joshua.
Philip, I can access a limited number of articles on both my phone and iPad. I rarely if ever use my PC.
For me it depends on the publication/newspaper.
True. All have different rules. But I understand that. Most Readers have moved to online and the papers need to charge or go out of business. You can find some really great deals. I subscribe to NYT and WSJ. But the cost is very low and I’ll cancel one or both when the intro price is up
NYC closing schools down as covid rises . As Massachusetts Governor Baker says today that schools are the safest place to be . You lost my vote of confidence Baker I thought you were pretty good for round two but you are stepping around too many things here now that is going to come back at you later big time .
I saw some of Baker’s press conference and I agree. I don’t understand why he’s pushing in person learning when cases are so numerous. I don’t call that “safety”. Gov. Baker seems more concerned about how families celebrate Thanksgiving in their own homes. That should be their own business, whatever makes them feel comfortable.
Round one
New daily case numbers appear to have peaked in the U.S. This does NOT mean, however, that the situation is stable. The peak range is very high, with rising test positivity in many states – at very high levels as I mentioned yesterday.
Deaths in Italy are pretty much at the same peak late March/early April levels. Astonishingly high. France also has high numbers of deaths, very close to their spring peak levels.
Global deaths yesterday broke yet another daily record. I believe that will happen again today.
Yesterday, the U.S. had its highest number of reported deaths (1,639) since July 30. Should be noted that July 30th (1,830 deaths) was an outlier. Besides July 30 you have to go back all the way to May to find a daily total higher than 1,639.
Speaking of Italy, I heard on the news one morning that Covid-19 was already there as far back as September 2019 but not reported at the time. Of course what else is new with nations early on covering up a potential pandemic?
SSK – I hear what you’re saying regarding Baker. In his defense – and admittedly playing devil’s advocate a bit – the Governor is trying to ensure children get a more optimal, in-person education (and socialization). I’ll defer to the real educators on this blog, but my viewpoint on this is that remote learning can be satisfactory but is not a solution for the long haul. I do think children learn certain social skills, in addition to traditional education, in school that they simply cannot on-line. This said, there are risks. Children are not efficient transmitters of the virus, but they do transmit.
Philip, I echo your lament of the paywalls. From the newspaper and periodical business perspective it may be necessary. But, it’s a pain in the neck at times. Forbes has put up a paywall, too. This will severely limit my already measly income as a Forbes contributor because people now have to pay to view more than 5 Forbes articles each month. I already have noticed a big drop in numbers of views of my articles. Oh well.
So far I have been able to access your articles at Forbes. I hope to be able to continue to do so as they have been very informative during this crisis. Thanks for sharing them here. 🙂
Paywalls. That’s a new term for me. Another new word to put in my memory bank.
Joshua, re robust Education ……
I Have written to baker several times. I agree that if a parent wants his or her child in school and it can be safe for other students and teachers and staff, then go for it. My polite suggestion to him was to please stop excluding kids who cannot safely be in school by not Acknowledging them. Yes, remote might be less than desirable for some kids. Conversely, in person may well be devastating to some kids or their family members.
That is where I lose all patience. Some kids and some teachers CANNOT safely be in school. Many schools are short changing those kids with larger class sizes and crammed schoolwork And Some teachers that do not meet what was a state requirement. That is so very wrong.
What it boils down to is only kids who do what Riley and DESE want get the education they deserve. And that is beyond inexcusable
The medical community isn’t helping matters as many of them, (including Dr. Fauci) continue to encourage in person learning over remote, no matter what.
I actually blame DESE and Riley more than baker. I have no use for either….it ended when they went to three feet which is so inaccurate I can’t bother to go into it. But my lack of respect has continued.
The novel coronavirus has a much higher R0, which means it is much more contagious than influenza. What this probably implies is that the distancing, masking, hygiene, and avoiding large gatherings, is reducing flu levels significantly, but having less of an impact on coronavirus.
Agree. I have been thinking the same. Also schools sending kids home if Ill. That has never been the case in my years as a Student, parent And grandparent
However, baker and others discussed a new rapid test for kids who arrive in school with a cough or runny nose, etc.
That sounds wonderful if used intelligently. Media asked if a kid Would be sent home if he has something noticeable and doesn’t test positive. The answer was 100% if covid positive…..maybe if not a bad cold, child would remain in school.
If a child arrives with Noticeable symptoms, Unless someone is not doing his job, those symptoms are brand new meaning the start of something. So do they stay in school spreading whatever it is which of course compromises the ability of other kids or teachers and staff to fight covid should they be infected with this once minor virus.
Also….we know darned well that covid is more contagious BEFORE symptoms.
None of this makes sense but then welcome to our new reality
Vicki, I’m glad you write to Baker. I do the same at times. It’s important constituents are actively engaged, and not just during an election cycle.
Agree. A way back lesson from my mom. Write to say thank you and to make a polite suggestion/comment. I try not to criticize anyone without being open with that person. I don’t always succeed but then I’m a work in progress 😉
C-19 for 11-19 is ready.
Comments are closed.
Your no-hype southeastern New England weather blog!
I know that in the vast web of tragedies and suffering we are witnessing, live music might seem easily dispensable. But, an email this morning from Scott Hayward, owner of the Tupelo Music Hall, has me feeling very sad and angry.
I love seeing shows at the Tupelo. Scott and his team have been doing an amazing job during the pandemic through innovation and positive thinking. They converted the entrance of the building into a stage and held a long and successful drive-in concert series while the weather allowed. Now they are carefully and thoughtfully preparing for indoor shows with just 20% capacity.
But in this message, it seems that Scott is being pushed to the limit, and that says a lot:
https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Tupelo-Weekly–An-Update-from-Scott.html?soid=1101496966722&aid=Fv0TNx9f1YU
This just brings me to tears. If people just did what they should…. it might not stop it, but we know it would make a big difference.
I came here to share this, but your post SClarke made me wonder if Scott is considering the same. I just got tickets for this. I also believe….not positive yet….Boston ballet will be showing the nutcracker on NBC10. I need to find out if verizon has that channel
https://tsolivestream.com/tso/livestream/
Yes, a one-hour broadcast of Boston Ballet’s Nutcracker will be on TV six times between Thanksgiving and Christmas:
NBC on 11/28 and 12/25 at 7pm
NECN on 11/29 and 12/12 at 7pm
Telemundo on 12/5 at 11am and
12/25 at 5pm
All the info is on bostonballet.org
I listened to an Arkansas health official and a doctor from Vanderbilt and a second physician….cannot recall from where…on NPR as I drove to pick up groceries this am
Joshua has been cautioning is that there are logistical issues to overcome with the vaccines and indeed there are.
Pfizer vaccine as you know need to be kept at -70C. The minimum order for the vaccine is 975 which eliminates smaller medical groups. It requires a series of end user steps for it to be administered correctly.
Moderna hopefully can be released in smaller numbers. It needs to be at only -4ish degrees. Can’t recall whether C or F.
Both need a second dose. Pfeizer minimum between doses is 21 days, modernas is 28. Neither seemed to give a maximum number of days but I suspect that is in the individual dosing directions.
Hopefully the day will come when a vaccine will be on an annual or better yet, a once-in-a-lifetime basis. Having to get a shot every 30 days is not practical, very inconvenient. Maybe I am misunderstanding?
Even local shutdowns will hurt the economy and cause businesses (not just restaurants) to close permanently.
Sadly I believe Boston Mayor Walsh is just “itching” to do just that as he keeps threatening at every press conference.
A shutdown will bring mass panic and wipe out grocery shelves once again. It has already happened throughout the city of Chicago.
SClarke, thank you for sharing the Tupelo Music Hall story. As I mentioned before, I think many Americans are willing to pay a small Covid tax to support small businesses. In some ways a tax is preferred, in my view, to relying on voluntary donations. I think that when everyone has to chip in a little you create a sense of solidarity.
There is some potentially good news on vaccines possibly delivering long-term immunity, in which case, Philip’s desired once in a lifetime or once in a while dosing might work.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/17/health/coronavirus-immunity.html
Unfortunately, I am unable to read these NY Times articles via my phone unless I “subscribe”. I believe this applies to the Washington Post as well.
I know everyone’s heart is in the right place in sharing but unfortunately with newspapers today I guess it is either “subscribe” or “goodbye”.
Thanks anyway Joshua. I get the gist of your response regarding the vaccine.
🙂
I think that oh your computer you should be able to access NY Times articles on the coronavirus without having to pay. I don’t have a subscription, but can access the Times articles on Covid.
That is correct. The NY Times has provided free access to most Covid-related articles all along.
There are simple ways to get around the requirement for non-Covid articles as well, if you feel OK with that.
I don’t own a computer anymore. Just my phone. I don’t understand why some newspapers discriminate against phones. I am certainly not going to go out and buy a computer just to read an article here and there.
Times have certainly changed. It’s ok. Thanks again anyway Joshua.
Philip, I can access a limited number of articles on both my phone and iPad. I rarely if ever use my PC.
For me it depends on the publication/newspaper.
True. All have different rules. But I understand that. Most Readers have moved to online and the papers need to charge or go out of business. You can find some really great deals. I subscribe to NYT and WSJ. But the cost is very low and I’ll cancel one or both when the intro price is up
NYC closing schools down as covid rises . As Massachusetts Governor Baker says today that schools are the safest place to be . You lost my vote of confidence Baker I thought you were pretty good for round two but you are stepping around too many things here now that is going to come back at you later big time .
I saw some of Baker’s press conference and I agree. I don’t understand why he’s pushing in person learning when cases are so numerous. I don’t call that “safety”. Gov. Baker seems more concerned about how families celebrate Thanksgiving in their own homes. That should be their own business, whatever makes them feel comfortable.
Round one
New daily case numbers appear to have peaked in the U.S. This does NOT mean, however, that the situation is stable. The peak range is very high, with rising test positivity in many states – at very high levels as I mentioned yesterday.
Deaths in Italy are pretty much at the same peak late March/early April levels. Astonishingly high. France also has high numbers of deaths, very close to their spring peak levels.
Global deaths yesterday broke yet another daily record. I believe that will happen again today.
Yesterday, the U.S. had its highest number of reported deaths (1,639) since July 30. Should be noted that July 30th (1,830 deaths) was an outlier. Besides July 30 you have to go back all the way to May to find a daily total higher than 1,639.
Speaking of Italy, I heard on the news one morning that Covid-19 was already there as far back as September 2019 but not reported at the time. Of course what else is new with nations early on covering up a potential pandemic?
SSK – I hear what you’re saying regarding Baker. In his defense – and admittedly playing devil’s advocate a bit – the Governor is trying to ensure children get a more optimal, in-person education (and socialization). I’ll defer to the real educators on this blog, but my viewpoint on this is that remote learning can be satisfactory but is not a solution for the long haul. I do think children learn certain social skills, in addition to traditional education, in school that they simply cannot on-line. This said, there are risks. Children are not efficient transmitters of the virus, but they do transmit.
Philip, I echo your lament of the paywalls. From the newspaper and periodical business perspective it may be necessary. But, it’s a pain in the neck at times. Forbes has put up a paywall, too. This will severely limit my already measly income as a Forbes contributor because people now have to pay to view more than 5 Forbes articles each month. I already have noticed a big drop in numbers of views of my articles. Oh well.
So far I have been able to access your articles at Forbes. I hope to be able to continue to do so as they have been very informative during this crisis. Thanks for sharing them here. 🙂
Paywalls. That’s a new term for me. Another new word to put in my memory bank.
Joshua, re robust Education ……
I Have written to baker several times. I agree that if a parent wants his or her child in school and it can be safe for other students and teachers and staff, then go for it. My polite suggestion to him was to please stop excluding kids who cannot safely be in school by not Acknowledging them. Yes, remote might be less than desirable for some kids. Conversely, in person may well be devastating to some kids or their family members.
That is where I lose all patience. Some kids and some teachers CANNOT safely be in school. Many schools are short changing those kids with larger class sizes and crammed schoolwork And Some teachers that do not meet what was a state requirement. That is so very wrong.
What it boils down to is only kids who do what Riley and DESE want get the education they deserve. And that is beyond inexcusable
https://framinghamsource.com/index.php/2020/11/18/letter-let-us-work-remotely-until-it-is-safe/
The medical community isn’t helping matters as many of them, (including Dr. Fauci) continue to encourage in person learning over remote, no matter what.
I actually blame DESE and Riley more than baker. I have no use for either….it ended when they went to three feet which is so inaccurate I can’t bother to go into it. But my lack of respect has continued.
In all of my years tracking influenza I have never seen a map with such minimal flu activity in mid November: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm
The novel coronavirus has a much higher R0, which means it is much more contagious than influenza. What this probably implies is that the distancing, masking, hygiene, and avoiding large gatherings, is reducing flu levels significantly, but having less of an impact on coronavirus.
Agree. I have been thinking the same. Also schools sending kids home if Ill. That has never been the case in my years as a Student, parent And grandparent
However, baker and others discussed a new rapid test for kids who arrive in school with a cough or runny nose, etc.
That sounds wonderful if used intelligently. Media asked if a kid Would be sent home if he has something noticeable and doesn’t test positive. The answer was 100% if covid positive…..maybe if not a bad cold, child would remain in school.
If a child arrives with Noticeable symptoms, Unless someone is not doing his job, those symptoms are brand new meaning the start of something. So do they stay in school spreading whatever it is which of course compromises the ability of other kids or teachers and staff to fight covid should they be infected with this once minor virus.
Also….we know darned well that covid is more contagious BEFORE symptoms.
None of this makes sense but then welcome to our new reality
Vicki, I’m glad you write to Baker. I do the same at times. It’s important constituents are actively engaged, and not just during an election cycle.
Agree. A way back lesson from my mom. Write to say thank you and to make a polite suggestion/comment. I try not to criticize anyone without being open with that person. I don’t always succeed but then I’m a work in progress 😉
C-19 for 11-19 is ready.