Coronavirus and Walt Disney World general discussion

[GoofGoof]

School openings going good so far....

Update: 826 students under quarantine in Cherokee after possible COVID-19 exposures

n the six days that Cherokee County Schools have been in session, the north Georgia district has had to direct 826 students to quarantine due to exposure to COVID-19, along with 42 teachers.

www.ajc.com

Well it’s only 2% of the total students In the district but how many before it hits a tipping point.

 

[disneygeek90]

School openings going good so far....

Update: 826 students under quarantine in Cherokee after possible COVID-19 exposures

n the six days that Cherokee County Schools have been in session, the north Georgia district has had to direct 826 students to quarantine due to exposure to COVID-19, along with 42 teachers.

www.ajc.com

Well it’s only 2% of the total students In the district but how many before it hits a tipping point.

Schools are gonna be bad news. There's no way they aren't. Some schools here in FL start face to face, at least for some students, next week. I'm bracing for September's numbers.

 

[brianstl]

School openings going good so far....

Update: 826 students under quarantine in Cherokee after possible COVID-19 exposures

n the six days that Cherokee County Schools have been in session, the north Georgia district has had to direct 826 students to quarantine due to exposure to COVID-19, along with 42 teachers.

www.ajc.com

Well it’s only 2% of the total students In the district but how many before it hits a tipping point.

I don't like how the district has handled their opening overall, but they do deserve some credit for the level of transparency they are showing when it comes to positive tests and quarantines. I was surprised when I saw that link in the article. That is one thing all districts should do.

 

[SamusAranX]

Schools are gonna be bad news. There's no way they aren't. Some schools here in FL start face to face, at least for some students, next week. I'm bracing for September's numbers.

Hillsborough, which is two counties south of me, sued the state as FL gov is saying it must be in person, but Hillsborough voted for distance learning. My friend is a teacher and thankfully in good health, but I worry for others. It's not just necessarily the potential of serious hospitalization or death, it's the ripple effects; students quarantining and missing lessons and work, falling behind, etc.; schools shutting down temporarily; filling teacher outages with subs brave enough. Many argue, students learning is handicapped by distance learning. Yes, I can definitely see how they may not focus as much or be able to attend and absorb their education. But, physical learning would probably cause learning setbacks as well from the effects I mentioned above.

That said, I also understand that many parents can't afford childcare for distance learning; my company is doing their best to work with parents working remotely now, but that was enabled by the paycheck protection money they received, which will run out soon.

Did I ever mention I hate this world and it's system? LOL

 

[SamusAranX]

Yuck Send them back and get us some new ones

It could be alot, lot worse. we may be hitting a plateau, but a lower one. I will take the small victories. Hopefully it doesn't skyrocket back up to 9/10k a day again.

 

[GoofGoof]

It could be alot, lot worse. we may be hitting a plateau, but a lower one. I will take the small victories. Hopefully it doesn't skyrocket back up to 9/10k a day again.

True. I was just hoping for either another decline or at least holding steady. Percent positive over 10% is more troubling then cases which tend to go up and down.

 

[Jrb1979]

True. I was just hoping for either another decline or at least holding steady. Percent positive over 10% is more troubling then cases which tend to go up and down.

Hopefully the 276 deaths is one off too.

 

[hopemax]

We are all doomed.

Seriously! It's a reasonable guess that New Zealand now has a very special version of the virus that allows it to go undetected in the community for 3 months, when every other place in the world after 1 month of community spread it's blatantly obvious the virus is there?!? Versus someone with contact with the travelers who go into quarantine brought it out of quarantine or an unauthorized traveler who avoided quarantine protocols. We are entertaining this?

FYI, COVID Tracking project reported a measly 28K "newly tested" people for FL for 8/10. That's the worst showing since June 24th (so not entirely a "weekend lull"). These testing numbers better start coming back up, or it will start looking like someone took the "test less" strategy to heart . Texas is looking like one of those "test less" places too. Positivity is back up to 20%, as testing has dropped by 40% from the peak. Actual reason is it looks like people are opting out of testing. Either feeling like the situation is improving, or that wait for tests/results is too long, both having the result of "why bother."

Coronavirus testing in Texas plummets as schools prepare to reopen

Texas' low number of tests and large percentage of positive results suggest inadequacies in the state's public health surveillance effort at a time when school reopenings are certain to increase viral spread, health experts said.

www.texastribune.org

FL Deaths... The high point is now 7/15 at 165 deaths. 7/5 - 8/2 are all above 100 deaths per day (except 7/30 which is 97). Yesterday, I thought maybe there were signs of slowing, as there were several days in the 110ish range vs the 130ish range, but today's data dump blew that away.

 

[davidcyndi]

Testing sites were closed for 5 days because of the hurricane.

 

[carolina_yankee]

I understand your thoughts on why you think this vaccine could be sped up but literally every single scientist (even on Fox News) has said that this is rushing the process by a year. Not even they have confidence in the veracity of a rushed vaccine. Yes. We have come a long way with science but not that far.

There are many stories of scientists, including Dr. Fauci, who are optimistic about a vaccine being available early next year (2021). It will hinge on Oxford/Astra-Zeneca and Moderna, as I believe they are the furthest along. It would still be unprecedented, but I think both labs are also building off of previous work, so it’s not just a few months, but resuming significant work done several years ago.

There are still many unknowns - How many inoculations, how quick to ramp up production (already started), how quick to get into gen-pop after frontline/essential, etc. And the biggie - how long-term is the vaccine?

But it’s quite possible, perhaps even likely, we’ll have something work with in less than 9 months based on what scientists, including Dr. Fauci, are saying.

 

[MisterPenguin]

There are many stories of scientists, including Dr. Fauci, who are optimistic about a vaccine being available early next year (2021). It will hinge on Oxford/Astra-Zeneca and Moderna, as I believe they are the furthest along. It would still be unprecedented, but I think both labs are also building off of previous work, so it’s not just a few months, but resuming significant work done several years ago.

There are still many unknowns - How many inoculations, how quick to ramp up production (already started), how quick to get into gen-pop after frontline/essential, etc. And the biggie - how long-term is the vaccine?

But it’s quite possible, perhaps even likely, we’ll have something work with in less than 9 months based on what scientists, including Dr. Fauci, are saying.

Yeah... people need to stop saying "it takes years to develop a vaccine."

The past doesn't always constrain the present, nor the future.

Anyone keeping up on what Fauci and the CDC have been saying -- and a whole host of medica sources that try to educate withe real science -- will find we are in a unique position today with regard to COVID than in the past with other viruses.

We had the genome of C19 mapped within weeks of it being identified. We had preliminary work on vaccines for other coronaviruses. We have several new techniques to attack viruses. We have governments waiving the usual procedures and waiting periods doing things like running Phase II and Phase III at the same time. We have billions being spent that are already making the vaccines so that the moment the vaccine is finally approved, there are hundreds of millions of doses ready to ship.

Y'all know how skeptical I am of claims of scientific good news. I've looked at what's happening, and I'm with Fauci on this: good chance of a vaccine within half a year from now.

Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker (Published 2022)

A look at all the vaccines that have reached trials in humans.

www.nytimes.com

 

[brianstl]

We are all doomed.

Seriously! It's a reasonable guess that New Zealand now has a very special version of the virus that allows it to go undetected in the community for 3 months, when every other place in the world after 1 month of community spread it's blatantly obvious the virus is there?!? Versus someone with contact with the travelers who go into quarantine brought it out of quarantine or an unauthorized traveler who avoided quarantine protocols. We are entertaining this?

FYI, COVID Tracking project reported a measly 28K "newly tested" people for FL for 8/10. That's the worst showing since June 24th (so not entirely a "weekend lull"). These testing numbers better start coming back up, or it will start looking like someone took the "test less" strategy to heart . Texas is looking like one of those "test less" places too. Positivity is back up to 20%, as testing has dropped by 40% from the peak. Actual reason is it looks like people are opting out of testing. Either feeling like the situation is improving, or that wait for tests/results is too long, both having the result of "why bother."

Coronavirus testing in Texas plummets as schools prepare to reopen

Texas' low number of tests and large percentage of positive results suggest inadequacies in the state's public health surveillance effort at a time when school reopenings are certain to increase viral spread, health experts said.

www.texastribune.org

FL Deaths... The high point is now 7/15 at 165 deaths. 7/5 - 8/2 are all above 100 deaths per day (except 7/30 which is 97). Yesterday, I thought maybe there were signs of slowing, as there were several days in the 110ish range vs the 130ish range, but today's data dump blew that away.

Viruses like this are constantly mutating. They most often mutate into less deadly, but more easily to spread strains. The two most common distinct mutations that have been circulating throughout the US are the Chinese and European version. There is growing evidence that genetics, previous exposure to other Coronaviruses, blood types and even your history of vaccinations from other viruses may all play a role in if symptoms are displayed by virus carriers. So yes it is reasonable to wonder if in a island country like New Zealand the virus could have been spreading unnoticed for three months among some groups of the population, especially when you consider there has not been widespread testing occurring in the country during that time period.

 

[MisterPenguin]

 

[lewisc]

Some information regarding the effectiveness of different types of masks. Shows why Disney no longer allows gator masks.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/08/us/duke-university-face-mask-test-trnd/index.html I think masks will be with us until there is a vaccine.

Business generally require shirts and shoes. Smoking is prohibited most places. I don't understand the issues with masks.

 

[DisneyCane]

We are all doomed.

Seriously! It's a reasonable guess that New Zealand now has a very special version of the virus that allows it to go undetected in the community for 3 months, when every other place in the world after 1 month of community spread it's blatantly obvious the virus is there?!? Versus someone with contact with the travelers who go into quarantine brought it out of quarantine or an unauthorized traveler who avoided quarantine protocols. We are entertaining this?

FYI, COVID Tracking project reported a measly 28K "newly tested" people for FL for 8/10. That's the worst showing since June 24th (so not entirely a "weekend lull"). These testing numbers better start coming back up, or it will start looking like someone took the "test less" strategy to heart . Texas is looking like one of those "test less" places too. Positivity is back up to 20%, as testing has dropped by 40% from the peak. Actual reason is it looks like people are opting out of testing. Either feeling like the situation is improving, or that wait for tests/results is too long, both having the result of "why bother."

Coronavirus testing in Texas plummets as schools prepare to reopen

Texas' low number of tests and large percentage of positive results suggest inadequacies in the state's public health surveillance effort at a time when school reopenings are certain to increase viral spread, health experts said.

www.texastribune.org

FL Deaths... The high point is now 7/15 at 165 deaths. 7/5 - 8/2 are all above 100 deaths per day (except 7/30 which is 97). Yesterday, I thought maybe there were signs of slowing, as there were several days in the 110ish range vs the 130ish range, but today's data dump blew that away.

I still don't understand where covid testing project comes up with the new people tested number. If you take the Florida report, take the new cases for the day and divide by the new case positivity (in decimal form) that should give you total new people tested.

For today that would be 5886/.103=57,145.
If there were only 28k new tests then the new case positivity would be over 20%.

 

[DisneyCane]

Some information regarding the effectiveness of different types of masks. Shows why Disney no longer allows gator masks.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/08/us/duke-university-face-mask-test-trnd/index.htmlI think masks will be with us until there is a vaccine.

Business generally require shirts and shoes. Smoking is prohibited most places. I don't understand the issues with masks.

Shirts and shoes don't typically lead to annoyance and discomfort of the wearer. I don't have an issue with a business requiring a mask. I still don't think there is any real evidence that cloth face coverings actually do much, if anything to reduce spread. However, I'll play the game if it lets me go to WDW.

 

[DCBaker]

"The Big Ten has, indeed, pulled the plug on fall football.

The Big Ten will not play football this fall, multiple sources at multiple Big Ten schools with knowledge of the situation told the Free Press on Tuesday.

Michigan State players were pulled off the practice field, and one source said MSU coach Mel Tucker told the team the conference would try to resume play in the spring.

An announcement is planned for 3 p.m., The Athletic reported. "

Big Ten football canceled for fall, will try to play in spring

The Big Ten will not play football in the fall, multiple sources told the Free Press. A spring season is on the table.

www.freep.com

 

[Flugell]

On a different topic can I thank WDW, Sea World and Virgin Atlantic for refunding in FULL all money that we had spent on our cancelled holiday in June and July. It wasn’t our fault that we couldn’t go but it wasn’t their fault either. It has taken a while (about 2 months) but every penny is now back in my account. I never really believed a full refund was likely so am very grateful that I didn’t have to use travel insurance or credit card call back.
I’m planning on leaving it there ready for the possibility of rebooking a holiday when the U.K. are finally allowed back into the USA and more importantly, when we feel it is safe and sensible to do so. The companies understanding means that I will book with them again.

 

[Mark52479]

Hopefully the 276 deaths is one off too.

So far out of that 276 only 10 actually occurred yesterday. The rest were spread out over 36 different dates.

By end of day we should know exactly how many actually occurred yesterday.

 

[DCBaker]