CDC official: “This is really the beginning”
Tuesday, Jun 30, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The most depressing thing I’ve read in days…
The coronavirus is spreading too rapidly and too broadly for the U.S. to bring it under control, Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Monday.
The U.S. has set records for daily new infections in recent days as outbreaks surge mostly across the South and West. The recent spike in new cases has outpaced daily infections in April when the virus rocked Washington state and the northeast, and when public officials thought the outbreak was hitting its peak in the U.S.
“We’re not in the situation of New Zealand or Singapore or Korea where a new case is rapidly identified and all the contacts are traced and people are isolated who are sick and people who are exposed are quarantined and they can keep things under control,” she said in an interview with The Journal of the American Medical Association’s Dr. Howard Bauchner. “We have way too much virus across the country for that right now, so it’s very discouraging.” […]
“This is really the beginning,” Schuchat said of the U.S.’s recent surge in new cases. “I think there was a lot of wishful thinking around the country that, hey it’s summer. Everything’s going to be fine. We’re over this and we are not even beginning to be over this. There are a lot of worrisome factors about the last week or so.” […]
“What we have in the United States, it’s hard to describe because it’s so many different outbreaks,” Schuchat said. “There was a wave of incredible acceleration, intense interventions and control measures that have brought things down to a much lower level of circulation in the New York City, Connecticut, New Jersey area. But in much of the rest of the country, there’s still a lot of virus. And in lots of places, there’s more virus circulating than there was.”
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 10:06 am:
There are those who’ve referred to the summer surge in cases as a second wave. Nope, this is still the first wave. And we are no where close to containing it.
Wear the (deleted) mask.
- Pundent - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 10:11 am:
I’d say that we have given up but in many parts of the country we never really tried. This should have never been a fight. We took what should have been a defining moment to unite and divided the country over health, safety, and science. And sadly it’s a pattern.
- Smalls - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 10:12 am:
Pro sports are restarting over the next month. Youth sports have restarted. Schools are starting back up in 6-8 weeks. The bars were packed over the weekend. It is over. /s
Pro sports, youth sports and schools will all be shut down within 6 weeks of starting, after several 60 year old coaches or teachers die. And all because people buy into the BS of not wearing a mask and jumped right back into big crowds.
- Grandson of Man - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 10:14 am:
Our major problem is lack of a unified response, no presidential leadership and many selfish people who think a face covering is government oppression and who otherwise refuse to socially distance and wear face coverings.
- Truthteller - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 10:16 am:
The way we deal with Covid is a glimpse in how we deal with climate change impact. There is no vaccine for drought and food and water shortages.
- Mr. K. - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 10:20 am:
—
The way we deal with Covid is a glimpse in how we deal with climate change impact.
—
The way we deal with Covid is a glimpse into the authentic American psyche.
And it ain’t pretty.
- ChrisB - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 10:27 am:
I saw somewhere that Americans fought Covid a lot like we try to lose weight.
Half a** it for 10 weeks and then decide trying was good enough.
- dbk - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 10:29 am:
As I noted on the previous thread, the absence of a coordinated response to the virus at the federal level is now becoming manifest, and one really can’t see the way forward except that the infection continues to spread, almost entirely uncontrolled in more than half our states.
It’s a national disgrace and a national tragedy.
- AnonymousOne - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 10:29 am:
Everything comes down to individual personal responsibility. Not just for you, but for others. No political leader can make you be a responsible person. Young people are banking on their invincibility and don’t care that if infected, they might pass on to others. How can that be legisated and enforced. It is recklessness that it driving this viral spread.
Personal responsibility.
- don the legend - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 10:45 am:
AnonymousOne- Why sanitation inspections or food licenses or approval of prescriptions or nuclear plant inspections or meat processing plant inspections, or building inspections? How can that be legislated and enforced.
Personal responsibilty, Am I right?
- Candy Dogood - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 10:50 am:
===too broadly for the U.S. to bring it under control===
Oh. So, say, a stay at home order for a few weeks wouldn’t control this virus? Like how the Italians handled their pandemic response?
This doesn’t seem like a real answer. This seems like a politically motivated claim.
And meanwhile so many of our local elected officials refuse to take action.
- Pundent - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 10:57 am:
=No political leader can make you be a responsible person.=
Political leaders can and have given permission to be irresponsible. Bailey, Cabello, Holbrook, and Skillicorn have all done so. And for some people that’s enough. There’s a division in this country right now. Those that see a need for governance and those that refuse to be governed.
- BCOSEC - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 10:59 am:
So far, deaths in the South and West aren’t spiking. But, too early to say if this will hold. Will know more by mid-July.
There is some science that viral loads of those infected will decrease over time. But a lot of debate on that for sure.
Sure hope that is true, as it doesn’t appear infection rates are headed down nationwide anytime soon.
- Fighter of Foo - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 11:02 am:
So the “protesters” unmasked aren’t the problem, it’s the suburban compliant folks sick of the masks are the problem? Got it.
- thoughts matter - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 11:07 am:
I don’t think there’s a thing we can do at this point to stop this virus. We can slow it down by going back to the lockdowns and shelter in place. We can open up a few non essential businesses if we wear masks. However, it’s been quickly proven that people won’t wear masks, won’t stop unsafe gatherings, etc. etc. I don’t see any realistic way out of this without the country being overwhelmed with cases and deaths over and over until we get a vaccine or everyone has been exposed. I predict lots of business, retail, restaurants, bars, convention centers, etc permanently closing and lots of people out of work, I predict homeschooling and work from home ( where possible) as the norm. I predict the loss of many of our elderly into severe cognitive decline due to lack of socialization.
- Downstate - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 11:10 am:
Interesting to note that Jasper County, that had one of the highest number of deaths in April-May time frame, now has only 1 reported case in the entire month of June.
Conversely, there are counties that are experiencing as many as 40% of their reported cases all in the month of June.
- @misterjayem - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 11:14 am:
“So far, deaths in the South and West aren’t spiking. But, too early to say if this will hold. Will know more by mid-July.”
Deaths are very much a lagging indicator. The infection to grave cycle seems to be about two weeks. If, as it appears, the majority of bad actors have been young people, it may take a couple of infection cycles for the disease to make its way to our older/more vulnerable populations. But without masks and minimized contact, it will happen and then deaths will once again rise with the case count.
The virus hasn’t changed. Why would it? It’s been very successful here in the United States.
– MrJM
- Candy Dogood - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 12:12 pm:
Oh come on, @misterjayem
You know you can’t tell if you’re falling till you hit the ground, and hitting the ground is the best way to decide whether or not there should be fall prevention.
- Dotnonymous - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 12:39 pm:
Viruses are extremely capable of mutating in order to increase their host base…Texas is seeing increased numbers of younger hosts…for one portentious example.
Viruses are ruthlessly opportunistic…all ways.
- Jibba - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 12:55 pm:
Downstate, those are good examples of it being very hard to see sensible trends from counties with low populations or low numbers of cases or deaths. Best to avoid making conclusions when data are sparse.
- Soulou - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 1:22 pm:
Rich. What is the source for this quote? Thx
- Soulou - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 1:23 pm:
Never mind. Saw it
- Joe Bidenopolous - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 1:52 pm:
=The infection to grave cycle seems to be about two weeks=
Not quite. Infection to hospitalization is around two weeks. Hospitalization to grave varies between 1 and 3 weeks and sometimes longer. You’re looking at a 3-5 week lagging indicator. If the virus has not mutated to become less deadly (which could happen!), the deaths in CA, FL and TX should start showing up in a week or so. On June 1, Florida had 57k confirmed cases, Texas had 64k and Illinois had 121k. Today those numbers are 146k, 158k and 143k, respectively
- CardsFan - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 2:28 pm:
Everyone seems focused on the death rate from the virus. The long term health effects caused by the virus are still unknown. Just because I have a high probability of surviving, if I would contract the virus, still doesn’t mean I am ambivalent about it.
Too many people still seem to be ambivalent.
- thoughts matter - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 3:12 pm:
= I just found a recording of the interview and it was done on May 1 Would like to hear what she says today. Things certainly have gotten much worse in many state today.==
Can you please explain where you are getting your May 1 date from? Her interview was Yesterday.
- Dotnonymous - Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 3:59 pm:
Recovery from COVID 19 may not be possible…chronic organ damage/disease are being discovered Worldwide.