By K E Stone (Keystone)
There’s good news and bad news for the COVID-19 pandemic.
What do you want to hear first? The good news is the Pfizer/BioNTech and
Moderna mRNA vaccines are in distribution across the US, Europe and elsewhere,
and adverse reactions are minimal. Also, the Thanksgiving holiday surge is
built into the US daily new coronavirus case numbers. The bad news?
The US active cases chart will need another three weeks to
flatten and potentially roll over to the downside. Also, the potential surge in
virus cases from the Christmas and New Year’s holidays is not yet factored into
the data (the daily new cases and active cases charts) which will be a January
story. Dr Fauci, on CNN, says, “We very well might see a post-seasonal, in the
sense of Christmas, New Year’s, surge, and as I’ve described it, as a surge
upon a surge.” There is also a new more transmissible coronavirus variant
discovered in the UK. This new COVID-19 mutant strain is called "VUI-202012/01." The VUI stands for 'Variant Under Investigation'. The UK's Union Health Ministry identifies the virus lineage as B.1.1.7. People commenting on the strain are calling it, "B117." On second thought, the pandemic remains mostly bad news.
December is the worst month of the pandemic; this was
obvious as the month began. 1 in every 1,000 Americans are dead from
coronavirus this year. Over 340K Americans are dead. This is nearly seven
Vietnam’s and 100 9-11’s. About 3K Americans are dying daily which is a 9-11
each day.
A bomb explodes in Nashville, Tennessee, on Christmas
morning damaging 41 buildings and a couple city blocks wounding three people. Tennessee
is one of the hardest hit covid regions in the US right now as the state data
shows below. The Volunteer State is hit with a triple-whammy of tragedy; covid,
terrible storms and floods in recent weeks and now a bombing. President Trump
is golfing in Florida and Vice President Pence is skiing in Colorado.
President Trump remains a sore loser cry baby after the
11/3/20 election and now a grinch. Trump refuses to sign the fiscal stimulus
bill so relief programs, such as unemployment insurance, will expire for the millions
of huddled masses that cannot find work. The president wants the individual
payment amount in the stimulus bill to increase from $600 to $2,000 after his
negotiator, Treasury Secretary Mnuchin, representing Trump, agreed to the $600 amount.
Oddly, but nothing is strange under the Donnie presidency, Trump may veto his
own bill.
Trump is lashing out at everyone unable to accept the
election loss. His dad told him that you are a pathetic piece of vile garbage
if you ever lose in life and that losing is the worse thing on earth that could
happen to a human being, so obviously he is trying to mentally process the loss
and one-term president status. At this point, with only 25 days remaining in
office, King Donnie is adopting a scorched-earth policy extracting revenge
against republicans that have not supported his fantasy about overturning the
US presidential election. The US crony capitalism system is in complete political
disarray and dysfunction with the pandemic spinning out of control. Enemies
attack when they sense weakness.
The Georgia runoff elections, that determine the fate of the
Senate, are 1/5/21. The next day, Congress accepts the electoral college
results of the presidential election naming Joe Biden as the winner and Donald
Trump as the loser. Delusional Trump believes he can make another
final-final-final try at overturning the US election on 1/6/21. Sleepy Joe
Biden becomes the 46th President of the United States (POTUS) on 1/20/21 when
King Donnie will be sent to pasture. Hopefully, Donnie does not make a scene
refusing to leave the Whitehouse; it would be embarrassing for the nation to
see the local constable knocking on the door and the police telling him he is
evicted. Millions of Americans will be evicted or foreclosed upon in early 2021
without a stimulus bill. What a mess.
Mexico and Russia are the two most underreported coronavirus
tragedies ongoing around the world. Dirtbag Dictator Putin stifles the news
flow from Russia. US authorities should be concerned about Mexico since the
southern border states (California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas) may
experience great difficulty in tamping-down coronavirus. Arizona reports ICU
(Intensive Care Unit; this is where they stick a breathing tube down your
throat) beds at 93% capacity and climbing. The US government should be
educating people in the southern states to be extra vigilant but there is no
one in charge of the show.
King Donnie is golfing and tweeting the last three days. He
told the locker room attendant and caddymaster at Mar-a-Lago that he won the
election. Over the last couple months, Trump never talks about coronavirus
unless it is in reference to the vaccines; the dude can never admit he is
wrong. To acknowledge the ongoing COVID-19 hardship and misery, and the virus
spiraling out of control at its worst, is to recognize his failure as
president. Trump fancies himself as a Ronnie Ray-gun (President Reagan) or a
Winston Churchill larger-than-life figure, however, he is neither. The
opportunity to prove his leadership skills and create a lasting legacy in
America history was the handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, it
turned out to be Trump’s Waterloo, as Stonewall Jackson sings.
Now that the vaccinations are underway, the focus
intensifies on herd (community) immunity and when it may occur in 2021. The medical community prefers the term 'community immunity' probably because it does not sound as animalistic and primal as 'herd immunity'. Community denotes a human connection although there are plenty of ecological, biological, and animal communities. Herd immunity is
the ultimate goal since the virus can no longer easily replicate and society
can return to normal. The virus is defeated when the active cases chart curve
rolls over to the downside and the virus is pounded into obscurity when herd immunity is achieved.
Fauci and others say that 70% to 85% of Americans need
vaccinated to create herd immunity which is between 230 and 280 million people
(US population is 330 million). The US may have about 20 million people
vaccinated in early January (originally this goal was by the end of the year)
so there is a long road ahead. If about 10% of the people drop out of the
vaccination programs after the first shot for various reasons, that would
result in about 60% to 75% of Americans vaccinated, say by late summer.
Estimating that about 15% of Americans have had covid (some
have had the disease and do not even realize it; others have battled through
the virus at home without seeking medical attention), this yields a total
antibody protection percentage at 75% to 90% which is enough for herd immunity
(add 15% to the 60% to 75% vaccination numbers). You always want more, but this
would do the trick.
With a Sharpie, draw 500 hash marks (representing 500 million shots into 250 million American arms) on
your doorway and cross one off for each one million vaccinations. At
Christmastime 2020, the US has a cross through only two hash marks (2 million shots) with 498 million more to go. When all the hash marks are crossed-off, 250 million Americans will be vaccinated and, along with those that have had the disease, the USA will achieve herd immunity and life can return to normal; as long as one of the new
variants do not cause additional mischief.
If 2 million people are vaccinated per day going forward, that would be 248 days until herd immunity is achieved which is early September; Labor Day. Each person requires two shots. It is a formidable task. President-elect Biden proclaims that he wants 100 million vaccinations performed during his first 100 days. Incoming presidents always focus on the first 100 days as a launching board for carrying out their agenda and campaign promises. Biden likely means 100 million shots and not 100 million people so that would create about 50 million immune people by April 1. Add that to say another 20 million from December through early January so perhaps about 70 million people will be completely vaccinated (150 million doses) by 4/1/21. That would be a great goal to shoot for but it is not going to be anywhere near enough to tamp down the virus. By May the US had better be sticking 2 million and more arms per day or this virus will linger well into 2022.
Hopefully, the medical folks are running the same numbers. The sooner they level with Americans the better; it may actually convert and encourage a lot of folks to wear masks and socially distance more diligently which would actually help defeat the virus. If 4 million shots are given per day, 124 days would be needed for herd immunity which is early May. This is not going to happen. If 3 million shots are given per day, 186 days would be needed for herd immunity which is early July, say Independence Day. It's an all-hands-on-deck situation.
The vaccines will likely be available going forward in early 2021 so America, and other nations, need shot-giver's more than anything. CVS and Walgreen's are stepping up to the plate providing skilled pharmacists for the task at hand in the US but this may be the bottleneck in the vaccination program. The nurses already have their hands full taking care of patients let alone provide vaccinations now as well. A tired and disheveled nurse, at the end of her shift, searches for a way to make herself and her colleagues smile, and says, "Maybe I can do that in my spare time." The nurses share a laugh but for only one minute. They immediately return to work as if they are reliving the non-funny parts of a MASH television episode each day. The nurses are obviously exhausted and overworked and now walking straight into a covid inferno for two months.
Over the next couple months, which will be the most
difficult of the pandemic, prayer is the only thing that can help America,
Russia, Mexico and many other seriously infected covid nations. The public will
face the realization that they are living through the worst of the pandemic in
January and February.
The Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccinations continue. The
AstraZeneca, J&J and Novavax conventional-style vaccines are in trials
currently and data should be released any day forward. It is important to
succeed with the non-mRNA vaccine/s because many folks that are apprehensive
about the new messenger RNA technology will agree to receiving the more conventional-style
vaccination. This may come into play in the spring and summer if the number of
Americans willing to be vaccinated dwindles.
China’s coronavirus (COVID-19), spawned at the two bioweapons
biolaboratories in Wuhan, has infected 81 million people around the world
killing 1.77 million souls. The CCP (Chinese Communist Party), led by dirtbag
Dictator Xi, who has no respect for the sanctity and dignity of life, unleashes
bioterrorism upon the planet; even on their own Chinese people. CNN had an
interesting special on the origination of the virus and the bats and all that
other bunk and showed one bioweapons laboratory in the film, and not the other.
Over 57 million people have recovered worldwide (71%; 7 in
10 people in the world that were infected with covid have recovered; this
number is moving in a positive direction up +1% over the last week and up +2%
over the last three weeks).
The Wuhan Flu, or China Virus, has attacked and sickened 19.5
million Americans (5.8% of the 330 million US population; this number keeps
increasing at a steady pace; 1 in every 17 US citizens have been infected with
COVID-19), the highest number of cases in the world, murdering 340K United
States citizens. One American is dying every 26 seconds from covid with US
daily deaths exceeding 3K deaths per day. The deadliest covid day in the US is 3,614
deaths on 12/16/20. On a positive note, that peak day of deaths was 11 days
ago. 11.4 million Americans have recovered from covid (59%; this number is steady
sideways not improving but not deteriorating either; 3 out of every 5 Americans
that were infected with covid have recovered).
The world has a better virus recovery percentage than the
United States. America is only 4.2% of the world’s 7.8 billion population but
has one-fifth (23.8%; worsening over the last month) of the coronavirus cases
and one-fifth (19%; holding steady over the last month) of the deaths.
The USA has the greatest number of total coronavirus cases in
the world at 19.5 million followed by India (10.2 million now a reluctant
member of the dreaded 10 million-plus club), Brazil (7.4), Russia (3.0), France
(2.5), UK (2.2), Turkey (2.1), Italy (2.0), Spain (1.9), Germany (1.6), Argentina
(1.6), Colombia (1.6), Mexico (1.4), Poland (1.3), Iran (1.2), Ukraine (1.02), Peru
(1.006), South Africa (983K), Netherlands (744K), Indonesia (707K), Czechia (668K),
Belgium (637K), Romania (614K), Chile (596K), Iraq (591K), Canada (535K), Bangladesh
(508K) and Pakistan and Philippines both at 469K total cases. California, Texas
and Florida have over 1.2 million cases, California is over 2 million, so three
US individual states have more coronavirus total cases than every nation on
earth except for 14 countries.
27 nations above have over 500K total virus cases. Russia
crosses above 3 million total cases. The UK worsens leapfrogging Italy and
Turkey moving into number six on the tragic list. Eight nations have over 2
million total cases with Spain knocking at that door. Germany worsens
leapfrogging Columbia and Argentina to number 10 on the list. Ukraine leapfrogs
Peru but both are now members of the 1 million total cases club which now has
17 depressed members. South Africa is knocking at that 1 million total cases door.
Romania worsens leapfrogging Iraq and Chile.
In the future, China must pay dearly for its out-of-control
bioterrorism experiment. The pandemic will be at its absolute worse when
President Trump leaves office, and President-elect Biden is sworn-in, at the
inauguration on 1/20/21.
14 countries have over 1,000 deaths per 1 million
population. The worst is Belgium at 1,650 per 1M, followed by San Marino,
Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, North Macedonia, Peru, Andorra, Spain,
Montenegro, UK, Czechia, Bulgaria and the USA at 1,024 deaths per 1 million
population. France, Mexico and Hungary will likely join this sick death cult club
before the pandemic ends.
In total deaths, USA is number one with nearly 340K dead
followed by Brazil with 191K dead, India with 148K dead, Mexico with 122K dead,
Italy with 72K dead, UK with 70K dead, France with 63K dead, Russia with 55K
dead, Iran with 55K dead and Spain with 50K dead. 10 nations have over 50K
citizens dead from covid. Canada has 15K people dead from covid so North
America has dug 477K graves, may as well call it a half a million graves,
during the last 10 months for folks perishing from coronavirus.
The Keystone Speculator Coronavirus Infection Rate Model, the
Keystone Model for short, uses the daily new cases to project when the active
cases chart will flatten and roll over which signals an end to the pandemic. A
couple words about charts. The daily new cases charts are the bar charts
typically shown on cable news television and in internet articles. The daily
new cases bar chart helps identify the virus waves and is used to project when
the peak in the active cases chart will occur.
The active cases chart is the most important chart since
this is the curve that needs to flatten and then roll over to the downside to
create the bell shape, hence the term, “flattening the curve.” The flattening
of the active cases curve represents the maximum strain on the healthcare
system subsiding and then the active cases curve dropping off on the right-hand
side, to form the bell shape, verifies that the virus is being defeated and
healthcare workers can catch a break. Alas, the US active cases chart above is
a sick pup continuing higher and explained below.
The daily deaths charts are presented in a bar chart format
like the daily new cases. The total deaths are represented as a cumulative
curve, such as the often-quoted IHME Model chart, that continues higher. The
cumulative death curve needs to flatten to show that the dying has ended. The
misery continues if the death curve continues higher. China has stricken
tragedy and mayhem upon America.
The Keystone Model identifies the peak date in new daily
cases (New Case Peak Date). Once this occurs, the active cases bell curve will
then peak 1 to 4 weeks later, signaling that the pandemic is subsiding and
weakening, depending on how the virus situation is handled.
If the country, region, locality or state is well-prepared,
the active cases chart will peak in 11 days, on average, after the new cases
peak (think South Korea, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, etc..). The 11 days typically
holds true for communist, authoritarian and dictatorship-style governments,
such as red China, since the population has to do what it is told or they
receive a bullet in their heads. Even the second wave outbreaks in Australia,
Hong Kong and Japan are brought under control in this same short time period as
the initial wave. Australia and Singapore, however, are the only current
shining example on how to defeat the virus. China cannot be trusted.
Japan is getting hit hard with a third wave now reporting
the highest daily new cases ever. Ditto South Korea that is held out as a blueprint
to follow but they just reported the highest number of daily new cases ever
with a third wave hitting hard. South Korea is not a blueprint; instead, it has
a covid boot print on its forehead. Time will tell if Japan and South Korea can
control the pandemic in the 11-day window, or not. Ireland also handled the
pandemic quickly early this year but is having difficulty now with the daily
new cases the highest for the current third wave and the active cases curve
continuing higher.
If the country is not well-prepared for a pandemic, or a free
nation, non-communist, like the US and other Western nations,
non-authoritarian, the active cases will peak 28 days after the peak in new
cases. Same for any US state. Add 28 days to the New Cases Peak Date to arrive
at the Projected Active Cases Peak Date (when the pandemic will begin to
subside and hopefully decrease; the top of the bell curve where the strain on
the medical systems and personnel is at a peak).
Citizens in Western nations live more feely and
independently so it is difficult to control a pandemic. Israel is of course a
key part of the Free World but PM Netanyahu’s authoritarian style aids the
country in maintaining control over the virus for three distinct waves,
however, a new wave four is in progress with daily new cases rising again.
Israel announces a lockdown that will begin this evening and run for two weeks.
Time will tell if Israel snuffs-out the fourth wave quickly, or not.
The Keystone Model uses the new case peak date for
forecasting the peak in the active cases bell curve. Any subsequent higher
daily new case numbers will create a new case peak date. Also, if the number of
new cases is within 8% of the prior peak, that new date becomes the new case
peak date where 28 days is added (or 11 days for nations that handle the virus
better) to project when the peak in the active cases chart will occur. The
behavior of higher daily new case numbers, and a 7-day moving average sloping
higher, signals that the virus is getting worse in that region. Obviously, all
nations and regions want their daily new cases to trend lower and drop to zero.
The top of the bell curve pattern on the active cases chart
is important since it represents the maximum stress on medical facilities and
healthcare personnel. Hospitalization data is key and will increase a couple
weeks after the new cases increase (which makes January and February appear
ominous) but the active cases curve is far more important. People remain under
doctor’s care with fatigue, shortness of breath, and other symptoms, after they
recover from the worst of the virus, which creates an ongoing demand on the
healthcare system.
Other semi-recovered patients are sent home or to other
medical facilities, or nursing homes, and not counted in the hospitalization
data but they remain a strain on the medical system. Some patients continue
therapy for months on an out-patient basis and this continues to require
medical staff and supplies. A couple of athletes that have recovered from covid
drop over on the sports field and basketball court. The lingering symptoms of
shortness of breath are causing doctors to suggest that athletes have heart
imaging performed to make sure all is normal.
The healthcare demands will remain robust for the next couple
years before this sick covid pandemic is in the rearview mirror. God Bless the
healthcare workers, nurses, doctors and first responders especially since they
are about to go from the frying pan into the fire over the next two months.
Americans are partying and trading covid kisses under the mistletoe currently. Many
will become sick in January. Some will die. A big spike in daily new cases will
occur in early to mid-January.
The coronavirus pandemic is under control and defeated when
the active cases curve rolls over lower forming the bell shape, and no sooner.
The term “flattening the curve” only corresponds to the active cases chart (the
US active cases chart is shown above) and not to the new cases,
hospitalizations, deaths or any other virus charts.
The US daily new cases bar chart is shown above with the
current peak in daily new cases at 255,774 on 12/18/20. On Wednesday, 12/23/20,
the US reports 233,486 daily new cases. As per the Keystone Model, 8% from the
256K number is 235K but the 12/23/20 data does not surpass this number,
therefore, the peak in daily new cases remains 12/18/20. This is good news
because it verifies that the surge after Thanksgiving is likely finished.
Plain as the big nose on your face, cases spike from 12/2/20
through 12/23/20, thus, from Thanksgiving Day, cases spike 6 to 27 days hence
(1 to 3 weeks). This pattern will likely repeat for the Christmas and New
Year’s holidays so the US daily new cases may not peak until between 1/7/21 and
1/28/21. The Friday data is typically
the record-setting data but Christmas falls on a Friday. The data may fall
behind and become choppy for the days ahead until the holiday period is over.
The 7-day moving average line (which smooths the data out so
a trend can be identified) has rolled over lower creating cause for
celebration. However, it rolled over right before the Thanksgiving Day parties
as well. The covid pain will subside if the daily new cases remain less than
235K. If the daily new cases exceed 235K, America is screwed again and
conditions will quickly deteriorate. So watch that 235K daily new cases level
closely.
The pink circles show the holiday party periods (Easter,
Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving and
Christmas/New Year’s) which lead to more new cases. The Christmas and New
Year’s holidays will lead to a spike in daily new cases into mid to late January
as outlined above.
The US active cases curve above shows the United States is
in a third wave; it is an exponential wave (parabolic; vertical). The highest
number of new daily cases occurs on Friday, 12/18/20, at 256K as discussed
above. A quarter-of-a-million Americans are becoming infected with covid daily.
The US daily new virus cases are above 145K per day for
every single day since November 10 (sans Christmas Day); that is 47 days
running! US daily new cases are above 183K cases per day since December 1 (sans
Christmas Day); that is 26 days running!
As per the Keystone Model, adding 28 days to the new case
peak date of 12/18/20 is 1/15/21. Sadly, the first chance that America has at
flattening the active cases curve will be in mid-January. That’s terrible. And
this outcome is only in play if the daily new cases do not exceed 235K (8%
below the peak at 256K) which is likely foolish thinking. If the daily new
cases continue higher after the holidays, the flattening of the active cases
curve will be pushed even further out into the new year.
The US active cases chart shows the current trajectory of
the virus with the blue dotted-line and the projected peak on 1/15/21. The red
dotted-line shows the projection forward factoring in the holiday parties. A
surge in daily new cases will occur in January which will pump the active cases
chart higher with the earliest chance of flattening the curve in mid-February.
Do not kill the messenger. Keystone is often the bearer of somber news based on
statistics. His invitation to the holiday party must have gotten lost in the
mail.
America blew it this year. Trump’s handling of the pandemic
is disastrous. The US needed the leadership to tell everyone to stick it out
for two more weeks back in late May and nix the Memorial Day celebrations and
the year would have played-out far different. We would be nowhere near this
mess going on currently. The US is in serious trouble right now with the
pandemic mess escalating but most people are whistling past the graveyard more
concerned about forcing another slice of holiday ham down their pieholes.
Patterns repeat and a spike in cases will occur after the holidays
just like after Thanksgiving. January will be covid Hell. Ditto February. Maybe
March. The virus spreads when folks party at events, concerts, bars and in
small home settings but there are also many other reasons.
The US daily deaths bar chart is shown above. 3,614
Americans die from COVID-19 on 12/16/20 the deadliest day of the pandemic. TheInstitute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) makes projections on the US
death count. Currently, the US covid death count is at 340K dead on 12/27/20.
The current projection by IHME is 562K dead by 4/1/21. The worst case scenario
is 714K dead by 4/1/21 if the mandates are eased. This exceeds the 1918 Spanish
Flu epidemic that took 675K lives. The IHME estimates 540K dead by 4/1/21 if
the vaccines are rolled out quickly and 505K dead by 4/1/21 if a universal mask
mandate is implemented. The US will probably double the death count over the
next four months.
The healthcare professionals know a lot more about treating
covid now than months prior. Many older folks most susceptible to the virus,
with preexisting conditions, have croaked. Vaccines and other treatments are on
the way in 2021. Young people are becoming proportionally more infected these
days and they tend to remain asymptomatic and recover faster. Perhaps the death
rate will trail-off for these reasons rather than accelerate higher.
The South Korea chart is shown above. South Korea reports
1,237 daily new cases on 12/25/20 the highest ever. No one is touting South
Korea anymore. Malaysia’s chart shows daily new cases at a record.
New York’s chart is shown above with the daily new cases at
record highs the highest ever. We need Governor Cuomo’s leadership book more
than ever to find out what to do next. Where is that book? There it is, under
that table leg.
An update for The Keystone Model is provided since another
10-day period passes and more data and information are available to push the
story forward. We are into the holiday season but many folks are joyless since
the US coronavirus active cases curve (above) is heading higher with no signs
of flattening. This tells you that more COVID-19 sickness, sadness and tragedy
is ahead and 2021 will begin on a down beat.
This is Article 29 in K E Stone’s (The Keystone Speculator) coronavirus
series of articles that provides real-time information for historians,
teachers, students, journalists, economists, market participants, corporate
executives, financial managers, Wall Street, doctors, nurses, medical personnel,
first responders, researchers, public officials, news organizations, traders,
investors and politicians studying the COVID-19 pandemic both domestically
(USA) and internationally. This twenty-ninth article is published on Sunday, 12/27/20.
Only four days remain in this virus-stricken year but the worst of the pandemic
is yet to come in January.
Keystone’s covid articles are the only real-time source of
information available continuously chronicling the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic during
2020. Readers live and breathe the pandemic, the worst in a century, as it
occurs in real-time, experiencing the daily virus zeitgeist, good or bad,
devoid of political correctness. This is not revisionist history-telling. It is
the raw pandemic truth and human emotion occurring and recorded in real time.
The first article in the coronavirus series is US
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infections Chart 3/15/20; The Keystone Speculator
Coronavirus Infection Rate Model; US COVID-19 Infections Surpass 3,300; Federal
Reserve Blinks and Cuts Interest Rates to the Zero Bound Embracing ZIRP and
Announcing $700 Billion QE Program; US Futures Tank Limit-Down; Coronavirus
Archive Article 1 published 3/15/20.
The second article is The Keystone Speculator Coronavirus
(COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 3/24/20; Italy Daily Cases Leveling Off;
US Daily Cases Continue Rising; Congress Negotiating Fiscal Stimulus Bill;
Coronavirus Archive Article 2 published 3/24/20.
The third article is The Keystone Speculator Coronavirus
(COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 4/3/20; Italy Daily Active Cases
Peaking; United States Faces Ugly Coronavirus Pain Ahead; US Monthly Jobs
Report; Coronavirus Archive Article 3 published 4/3/20.
The fourth article is The Keystone Speculator Coronavirus
(COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 4/13/20; US Active Cases Continue
Rising; India, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, Russia, Peru, Ecuador and UK Headed
for Trouble; Second Wave Worries; President Trump Ushers in Age of MMT (Modern
Monetary Theory (Limitless Spending)); Rampant Job Losses; People in Need;
Finger-Pointing Begins; Worldwide COVID-19 Cases Top 2 Million; Coronavirus
Archive Article 4 published 4/13/20.
The fifth article is The Keystone Speculator Coronavirus
(COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 4/23/20; Australia, South Korea,
Switzerland, Germany, Hong Kong, Taiwan and China are Coronavirus Success
Stories; Italy, France and Spain Finally at Top of Active Case Bell Curve; UK,
Ecuador, Japan, Turkey, Peru, Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, India, Russia, Mexico
and Singapore Brace for Virus Pain; Countries Anxious to Restart Economies;
“Flattening the Curve” Term Misused; Ongoing Shortages of Virus Testing
Supplies and PPE (Personal Protective equipment); Congress Passes $484 Billion
Spending Bill; US COVID-19 Deaths Top 50,000; GRIM VIRUS NEWS 4/25/20; Coronavirus
Archive Article 5 published on 4/23/20.
The sixth article is The Keystone Speculator Coronavirus
(COVID-19) Infection Rate model Update 5/3/20; America Restarts Economy as New
Virus Cases Increase; US Active Cases Not Expected to Peak Until 5/21/20; 68K
Americans Dead from COVID-19 More Than Vietnam War; Testing Deficiencies
Continue; Coronavirus Preferentially Hurts Black Community; Brazil, Nigeria,
South Africa, India, Russia, Mexico and Chile Descend Into COVID-19 Hell this
Month; US-China Relations Collapsing; President Trump Says 100K People May Die;
U of W Model Says 134K May Die in US; Coronavirus Article 6 published on 5/3/20.
The seventh article is The Keystone Speculator Coronavirus
(COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 5/14/20; Russia, India, Nigeria, Brazil,
UK and Philippines Remain Mired in Virus Trouble; South Africa, Indonesia,
Chile, Peru and Mexico are in COVID-19 Hell; America Restarts Economy Before
Flattening the Curve; Texas, California, New Jersey and New York Worst Virus
States; Testing Deficiencies Persist; US-China Relations Deteriorating; Second
Wave Fears; Coronavirus Article 7 published on 5/14/20.
The eighth article is The Keystone Speculator Coronavirus
(COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 5/24/20; Math Explains the Black and
Latino Infections and Ongoing Coronavirus Zeitgeist; Russia, Poland, Brazil,
Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Columbia, Honduras, Mexico, India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt and South Africa in COVID-19 Hell;
America Restarts Economy; US Active Cases Curve Finally Flattens; New York,
Florida, Ohio, Washington, California, Texas, Arkansas and North Carolina are
Worst States Not Yet Able to Flatten the Curve; Coronavirus Tragedy Turns
Political; President Trump Refuses to Wear a Mouth Diaper (Face Mask); Hertz
Goes Bankrupt; US-China Relations Deteriorating; Second Wave Fears; Trump
Golfs; US DEATHS EXCEED 100,000; Coronavirus Article 8 published on 5/24/20.
The ninth article is The Keystone Speculator Coronavirus
(COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 6/3/20; Indonesia, Philippines, Egypt,
Kenya, South Africa, Mexico, Honduras, Columbia, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Chile,
Argentina, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India are in COVID-19 Hell; America
Continues Reopening the Economy; US Active Cases Curve Finally Flattens
(Tentatively); Texas, Arkansas, North Carolina and California are Troubled
States; Second Wave Worries Continue; US-China Relations Deteriorating;
Population Becoming Complacent About COVID-19; Coronavirus Article 9 published
on 6/3/20.
The tenth article is The Keystone Speculator Coronavirus
(COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 6/13/20; Philippines, Peru, Iran, Kenya,
Poland, Sweden, India, Indonesia, Honduras, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, South Africa, Egypt, Columbia and Argentina are in COVID-19 Hell;
US Virus Cases Rising in Many States Due to Increased Testing, Reopening the
Economy, Protests and Large Groups Gathering; Arizona, Texas, Arkansas, South
Carolina, North Carolina, California and Florida are in Serious Trouble;
President Trump Moves Republican Convention to Florida Where Virus Cases are
Spiking; Protests and Riots Increase Around the World; US Police Under Scrutiny
for Racial Injustice; Public Health Authorities Clueless; Coronavirus Article
10 published on 6/13/20.
The eleventh article is The Keystone Speculator Coronavirus
(COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 6/23/20; Pandemic in the Sunbelt (US
South and West); Arizona, California, Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Florida,
Carolina’s, Arkansas and New Mexico are US Hot-Spots; Houston Running Out of
Beds; South Asia, America’s and Africa Experiencing COVID-19 Hell; US, Bolivia,
Argentina, Guatemala, India and Philippines are in Serious Trouble;
Deteriorating US-China Relations and Increasing US COVID-19 Cases Creating
Market Angst; Coronavirus Article 11 published on 6/23/20.
The twelfth article is The Keystone Speculator Coronavirus
(COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 7/4/20; US Experiencing Dramatic Uptick
in Cases as President Trump and Vice President Pence Signal the All-Clear;
Ohio, Florida, Carolina’s, Arkansas, Georgia, California, Alabama, Arizona,
Texas and Oklahoma are in COVID-19 Hell; Texas, Arizona and Florida are
Reaching Limits on ICU Beds; US, Bolivia, Argentina, Colombia, Guatemala,
Honduras, Mexico, Philippines, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, South Africa and
Kenya are in Serious Coronavirus Trouble; COVID-19 Timeline; Coronavirus
Article 12 published on 7/4/20.
The thirteenth article is The Keystone Speculator
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 7/14/20; President Trump
Pressures States to Reopen Schools; Donnie Finally Dons a Face Diaper; US Death
Numbers Controversy Explained; RNC (Republican) Convention in Jeopardy; Kansas,
Washington, Tennessee, Alaska, the Carolina’s, Idaho, Wisconsin, Arkansas,
Oregon, Ohio, Louisiana, Georgia, Utah, Montana, Alabama, Oklahoma, Missouri
and Kentucky Join Florida, Texas, Arizona and California in the Coronavirus
Cesspool; Oman, India, El Salvador, Bolivia, Argentina, South Africa, Romania,
Mexico, Colombia and USA are in COVID-19 Hell; US-China Relations
Deteriorating; Italy Textbook Bell Curve; New Kazakhstan Virus; Coronavirus
Article 13 published on 7/14/20.
The fourteenth article is The Keystone Speculator
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 7/24/20; President Trump
Reverses Course Touting Mask Use and Restarting Coronavirus Press Conferences;
Over 20 Million Americans Remain Unemployed; New Mexico, Alabama, Wisconsin,
Arkansas, Alaska, North Carolina, California, Oklahoma and Missouri are the
Most-Infected States; US Healthcare System is Under Heavy Pressure Through
August; Australia, Hong Kong and Japan Hit with Second Waves; India, El
Salvador, Argentina, South Africa, Romania, Brazil, Bolivia, Mexico,
Kazakhstan, Colombia, Kenya and United States are Most-Infected Nations; US-China
Tensions Escalate; US Congress Negotiating Another Stimulus Bill; Coronavirus
Article 14 published on 7/24/20.
The fifteenth article is The Keystone Speculator Coronavirus
(COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 8/3/20; Australia, Hong Kong, Japan,
Spain and Peru Handling Second Wave; Philippines, Colombia, Bolivia, Mexico,
India, Ukraine, El Salvador, Peru, Spain, Argentina, Romania and Brazil in
COVID-19 Hell; 41 US States Show Active Cases Curves Continuing Higher; 9 US
States are in a Second Wave; Coronavirus Particle Size Analysis and Aerosol
Behavior; Public Restrooms and Fecal Matter May Be Major Factors in Virus
Transmission; Testing Troubles Continue; AstraZeneca Granted Protection from
Vaccine Liability; Coronavirus Article 15 published on 8/3/20.
The sixteenth article is The Keystone Speculator Coronavirus
(COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 8/13/20; Finally Good Pandemic News for
the United States; Europe Slipping Into Second Wave Behavior; Most Problematic
Virus-Infected Nations are India, Philippines, Romania, Ukraine, Iraq,
Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, El Salvador, Netherlands, Belgium, France
and Spain; Worst US States are Kentucky, California, Mississippi, Illinois,
Indiana, Arkansas, Virginia, Idaho, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Hawaii; US
Congress Deadlocked on Stimulus Bill After President Trump Signs Executive
Order; US Testing Troubles Continue; Good News Turns Bad with US Active Cases
Resuming the Uptrend; Coronavirus Article 16 published on 8/13/20.
The seventeenth article is The Keystone Speculator
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 8/23/20; US is Struggling to
‘Flatten the Curve’; Australia, Hong Kong and Japan Defeat the Second Wave;
European Countries Mired in Second Wave Include France, Spain, Italy, Belgium,
Netherlands, Finland, Ireland, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Greece, Poland
and Czechia; Peru, Nepal, Turkey and UAE are also in Second Waves; Worst
Countries are India, Ukraine, UAE, Moldova, Croatia, Albania, Greece, Poland,
Switzerland, Italy and France; North Korea in Famine; 9 US States in Second
Wave; Worst US States are Illinois, South Dakota, North Dakota, Michigan, Iowa,
Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky and
California; US Congress is on Vacation Remaining Deadlocked on Stimulus Bill;
RNC Convention Begins; Coronavirus Article 17 published on 8/23/20.
The eighteenth article is The Keystone Speculator
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 9/2/20; US Unable to
‘Flatten the Curve’; Countries with Worst New Cases are India, UAE, Czechia,
Turkey, Ireland, Finland, Spain, Costa Rica, Canada, Italy, Nepal, Peru,
Honduras, Indonesia, Ukraine, France and Greece; Europe Deals with Second Wave;
Worst US States are West Virginia, Mississippi, Kansas, South Dakota, North
Dakota, South Carolina, Illinois, Iowa, Alabama, Rhode Island, Delaware,
Hawaii, Kentucky, Virginia, Alaska, Oregon, Georgia and Arizona; US Congress
Continues Fiscal Stimulus Talks; Polls Tighten in US Presidential Race; Coronavirus Article 18 published on 9/2/20.
The nineteenth article is The Keystone Speculator
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 9/12/20; United States
Finally Flattening the Active Cases Bell Curve Chart; President Trump Admits He
Downplayed Virus; US Schools and Colleges Reopen; 2% of Americans Have Been or
Are Infected with Coronavirus; Second Wave Consumes Europe; 31 Nations Report
Increases in New Cases This Month; 26 Countries Report Increases in New Cases
in Last Two Days; New Cases Spike in 15 US States in Last 9 Days; 28 US States
Cannot Yet Flatten the Curve; Congress Unable to Agree on Stimulus Bill;
COVID-19 Has Killed Over 200,000 Americans; Coronavirus Article 19 published on
9/12/20.
The twentieth article is The Keystone Speculator Coronavirus
(COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 9/24/20; Over 200,000 Americans Dead; US
is Flattening the Active Cases Bell Curve Chart but 35 States Are Struggling;
10 US States Report Highest New Coronavirus Cases Ever including Wyoming,
Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, Minnesota, Utah, West Virginia,
Arkansas and Illinois; Europe is in COVID-19 Hell but Only Imposing
Lockdown-Lite Restrictions; Israel Imposes Strict Lockdown; 19 Countries Report
Highest New COVID-19 Cases Ever Including Spain, Netherlands, UK, Poland,
Romania, Hungary, Greece, Czechia, Moldova, Ukraine, UAE, Iran, Iraq, Bahrain,
Israel, Nepal, Morocco, Indonesia and Argentina; President Trump Asks UN
Members to Hold China Accountable for “The China Virus”; Congress Unable to
Agree on Fiscal Stimulus Bill; US Stock Market Slips into a -10% Correction;
WORDWIDE CORONAVIRUS DEATHS EXCEED 1 MILION PEOPLE; PRESIDENT TRUMP AND FIRST
LADY MELANIA TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; Coronavirus Article 20 published on
9/24/20.
The twenty-first article is The Keystone Speculator
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 10/4/20; President Trump in
Hospital Battling Coronavirus; US Continues Flattening the Active Cases Bell
Curve Chart Despite 39 States in COVID-19 Trouble; New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire Begin a
Disappointing 2nd Wave; Big Spikes in New Cases Occurring in Missouri,
Wisconsin, Kentucky, Nebraska, Montana and Wyoming; Coronavirus Smacks the
Midwest and Northwest US; Whitehouse Rose Garden Superspreader Event; Over 214K
Americans Dead; Over 1 Million Humans Dead; Over 35 Million Humans Infected;
Europe Dealing with Major 2nd Wave Outbreak; 30 Countries Experiencing Spikes
in New Virus Cases Including Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands,
Ireland, UK, Austria, Sweden, Russia, Canada, Argentina and Iraq; US Congress
Continues Negotiating Stimulus Bill; Trump Released from Walter Reed Hospital;
AMERICA BLEW IT AGAIN!; US Fails to Flatten the Curve; Coronavirus Article 21
published on 10/4/20.
The twenty-second article is The Keystone Speculator Coronavirus
(COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 10/14/20; America Fails to Flatten the
Curve; Nearly 222,000 Americans Dead; President Trump Recovers; Vaccine and
Antibody Trials Hit Snags; 44 US States Report Record New Cases Including the Dakota’s,
Ohio, New Mexico, Kentucky, Iowa, Idaho, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Colorado,
Texas, Massachusetts, Washington, Michigan, Tennessee, Kansas, Connecticut and
Alaska; 38 Countries Report Record New Cases Including US, Canada, Germany,
Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Finland, Czechia, Poland,
Switzerland, Ukraine, Iran and UAE; Europe Sinking into COVID-19 Hell; Bubonic
Plague Redux Map; US Fiscal Stimulus Appears Unlikely Before the 11/3/20
Presidential Election; Coronavirus Article 22 published on 10/14/20.
The twenty-third article is The Keystone Speculator
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 10/24/20; United States
Reports Highest New Coronavirus Cases Ever; America Fails to Flatten the Active
Cases Bell Curve; Nearly 230K Americans Dead; Delusional President Trump Says
Coronavirus is “Going Away”; Worst 28 US States are Wyoming, Alaska, Rhode
Island, South Dakota, Montana, New Mexico, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, Arkansas,
Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Oklahoma,
Texas, Oregon, California, Massachusetts, Vermont, Arizona, Nebraska, Indiana,
Maryland, Iowa and Illinois; US Map Shows Hot Zone States Correlated to
Interstate Highway Routes; Worst Countries are USA, UK, Canada, Mexico,
Ireland, Russia, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Germany,
Switzerland, Sweden, Poland, Czechia, Greece, Iran and Turkey; Virus Spreading
Rapidly in Europe, Western Asia (Eastern Bloc), Middle East and North America;
US Fiscal Stimulus Kabuki Theater Continues; US Presidential Election Only 10
Days Away; AMERICA EXCEEDS 100,000 NEW CASES PER DAY; Coronavirus Article 23
published on 10/24/20.
The twenty-fourth article is The Keystone Speculator
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 11/5/20; America Exceeds
118,000 New Cases Per Day Highest Ever; US Hit with Third Wave; Europe Under
Lockdown; 39 Nations Including United States in COVID-19 Hell; US Presidential
Election Vote Count Continues with Biden Leading Trump; Johns-Hopkins Reports
America Daily New Cases at 122K Highest Ever; Whitehouse Chief of Staff Meadows
Tests Positive; Worldometer Reports America Daily New Cases at 133K Highest
Ever; Joe Biden Named 46th President of the United States; President Trump
Refuses to Concede; Global Cases Exceed 50 Million; US Cases Exceed 10 Million;
Pfizer Vaccine Successful in Human Trial; US Daily New Cases Tragically at 188K
on 11/13/20; Coronavirus Article 24 published on 11/5/20.
The twenty-fifth article is The Keystone SpeculatorCoronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 11/15/20; US Reports 188KDaily New Cases Highest Ever; 40 US States Report Highest Daily New Cases Ever;US Coronavirus Cases Top 11 Million and Deaths Exceed 251K; 29 Worst CountriesInclude Russia, Ukraine, Indonesia, Turkey, United States, Spain, Italy,Germany, Austria, Sweden, Hungary, UK, Canada, Mexico, Japan and South Korea;Europe and North America in Various Lockdown Stages; Global Coronavirus CasesNear 55 Million and Deaths Exceed 1.3 Million; President ‘Sore Loser’ TrumpRefuses to Concede to President-Elect Biden Almost 2 Weeks After ElectionThreatening the Transition of Power and New US COVID-19 Response Plan; MedicalStaff Shortages; Americans Begin Hoarding Again; CORONAVIRUS 1-YEARANNIVERSARY; US Coronavirus Cases Exceed 12 Million; US Reports 192K Daily NewCases Highest Ever; US REPORTS OVER 204K DAILY NEW CASES HIGHEST EVER; USDEATHS EXCEED 260K; US DAILY DEATHS EXCEED 2K; Coronavirus Article 25 published on 11/15/20.
The twenty-sixth article is The Keystone SpeculatorCoronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 11/26/20; Thanksgiving Day;GLOBAL CORONVIRUS CASES EXCEED 60 MILLION; 22 NATIONS HAVE OVER 500K CASES;GLOBAL DEATHS EXCEED 1.4 MILLLION; US COVID-19 CASES EXCEED 13 MILLION; 15 USSTATES HAVE OVER 300K CASES; US EXCEEDS 150K NEW CASES PER DAY FOR 15 DAYSRUNNING; US DEATHS EXCEED 266K; US DEATHS EXCEED 2K PER DAY; President-ElectBiden Transitioning to Power; Hospitals and Healthcare Workers Strained butWorse is Yet to Come; United States Descends into Covid Hell; Vaccines arePromising but Remain Months Away; US REPORTS 235,272 DAILY NEW CASES ON 12/4/20WORST EVER; 2,921 AMERICANS DIE ON 12/3/20 THE DEADLIEST DAY OF THE PANDEMIC; 1AMERICAN DIES OF COVID-19 EVERY 30 SECONDS; US HOSPITIALIZATIONS TOP 101K;Coronavirus Article 26 published on 11/26/20.
The twenty-seventh article is The Keystone SpeculatorCoronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 12/6/20; 67 MILLION GLOBALCORONVIRUS CASES; 14 COUNTIRES OVER 1 MILLION CASES; 25 NATIONS OVER 500KCASES; 1.54 MILLION GLOBAL DEATHS; 15 MILLION US CORONAVIRUS CASES; 17 USSTATES OVER 300K CASES; US EXCEEDS 145K DAILY NEW CASES FOR 23 DAYS RUNNING;288K US DEATHS; US DEATHS EXCEEDING 2,250 PER DAY FOR 5 DAYS RUNNING; 1AMERICAN DYING OF COVID-19 EVERY 30 SECONDS; US HOSPITIALIZATIONS TOP 101K;Coronavirus Attacking North America; United States Descending Into COVID-19Hell; Blacks and Latinos Dying at 3 Times the Rate of Whites; DelusionalPresident “Sore Loser” Trump Continues Ignoring and Mismanaging Pandemic;Hospitals at Capacity; Healthcare Workers Completely Burnt-Out; Medical Systemon Verge of Collapse While Americans Enjoy Virus-Spreading Holiday Parties andPolitical Rallies; Vaccines are Promising but Too Slow to Stop ExponentialOutbreak; 3,260 DIE IN US ON 12/9/20 DEADLIEST DAY OF PANDEMIC; OVER 302kAMERICANS DEAD FROM CORONAVIRUS A GRUESOME MILESTONE; Pfizer VaccinationsBegin; US REPORTS 246,761 DAILY NEW CASES HIGHEST EVER; US HospitalizationsAbove 108K; Over 1.6 Million Earthlings Dead from COVID-19; Coronavirus Article27 published on 12/6/20.
The twenty-eighth article is The Keystone SpeculatorCoronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Rate Model Update 12/17/20; US REPORTS 251KDAILY NEW CASES ON 12/16/20 HIGHEST EVER; 3,561 AMERICANS DIE OF COVID-19 ON12/16/20 DEADLIEST DAY EVER; 318K AMERICANS DEAD; 1 in 183 AMERICANS INFECTEDWITH COVID IN THE LAST WEEK!; 24 US States (Half the Country) Report HighestDaily Cases Ever Over Last Week; New York, California, Texas, Georgia,Arkansas, Tennessee, West Virginia and Maine Report Highest Daily Cases EverOver Last 2 Days; US Hospitalizations Over 114K; Pandemic Spinning Out ofControl; President “Cry-Baby” Trump is MIA (Missing in Action); Pfizer/BioNTechmRNA Vaccinations Underway and Moderna On-Deck; Medical Professionals ConcernedAbout Vaccine Hesitancy; Healthcare Workers Exhausted but Worst Yet to ComeIncluding rationing Care; Ivermectin; UK VIRUS MUTATION CREATING GLOBAL ANGST;US Hospitalizations Above 120K; Americans Ignore Covid Guidelines InsteadTraveling and Partying on Christmas Holiday; Coronavirus Article 28 published
on 12/17/20.
The Worldometer web site tracks the coronavirus (COVID-19) around
the world and its link is provided. Many charts in the coronavirus series of
articles are provided courtesy of Worldometer and annotated by Keystone. The
Worldometer data and Johns-Hopkins data are tracking each other well in recent
days with the Worldometer data typically ahead of the Johns-Hopkins data by a
couple-few days. The COVID Tracking Project is another excellent source of
information and data available for those wanting to study and understand the
virus in more detail.
The increase in daily new cases has to stop and level off,
hopefully decrease, before there is any hope that the medical systems and
personnel will receive relief about four weeks in the future (when the active
cases chart flattens). Realistically, US healthcare services will likely have
to be rationed going forward. Doctors may be faced with difficult decisions
about who lives, and who dies, in the weeks ahead. Unfortunately, by the end of
the year, everyone, not just the poor folks and those of color, will know a
family member, friend, relative, or guy down the street, that has died from
covid.
The following nations are success stories that have beaten-back
the latest virus waves. The active cases curves have flattened and rolled over
creating the bell shape verifying that the virus is defeated for these
countries; New Zealand, Australia, India, Peru, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Qatar,
Philippines (data is messy), Oman, Guatemala, China (the bioterrorists that
unleashed the Wuhan Virus bioweapon upon the planet), Venezuela, Singapore,
Ecuador (problematic data), Iraq, Uzbekistan, Ethiopia, Nepal, Austria, Armenia,
Jordan, Morocco, Portugal (daily new cases may want to move higher), Italy,
Poland, Romania, Iran, Hong Kong, Finland, Croatia, Belize, Pakistan, Turkey, Georgia,
Hungary, Moldova and Ukraine.
It appears the virus has run its course, for now, in that
troubled western Asia, eastern Europe, northern Middle East region (Hungary,
Turkey, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine). Ukraine, a bigtime covid trouble spot for
months, finally rolls its active cases curve over. Ditto Turkey. Dictator
Erdogan rules with an iron fist. Belize is also added to the good list after it
quickly snuffed-out a spike in cases. Ditto Pakistan that rolls its active
cases curve over to the downside. Finland is also succeeding in beating back
covid so it is pulled from the list below and added above. Ditto Croatia.
Hong Kong is also placed on the list above after rolling its
active cases chart over and it maintains the 11-day gap between the peak in
daily new cases and the peak in active cases. Countries such as Ireland and
Indonesia tackled their original first wave outbreaks quickly in the 11-day
group but conditions have deteriorated in current waves that places their
models in the 28-day camp. Thus, a country that handled the virus quickly and
efficiently, in that 11-day grouping, may not necessarily handle a future
outbreak as efficiently. Japan and South Korea, that everyone pointed to as
examples on how to defeat the virus, are now trying to survive a third wave.
Chile takes a turn for the worse with a second wave
underway. Much of the citizenry may not yet realize it. Chile’s daily new cases
are the highest for this new second wave and at levels not seen since July. Bolivia
reports a big spike in daily new cases over the last week. Bolivia’s active
cases curve begins moving higher starting a second wave and trouble ahead so it
is taken off the nice list above and placed on the naughty list below. Ditto El
Salvador that reports the highest daily new cases ever on 12/12/20.
Argentina reports a spike in daily new cases which ushers in
a hesitant second wave. Venezuela is on shaky ground but remains on the good
list for now. That’s five South/Central American countries going south quick;
is the new variant strain attacking the continent? Note that all of these
countries are at or near the Pacific Ocean and on the west side of South and
Central America. It hints that the start of these new waves may be occurring
from a virus strain coming from Asia; perhaps the dirtbag Chinese CCP has a
hand in it.
The Philippines is skating on thin ice with the daily new
cases steady but hinting that they may break out higher. For now, the
Philippines (choppy messy data) stays on the good list above but do not be
surprised if it ends up on the bad list below in a future article. Malaysia and
Indonesia are the two worst coronavirus outbreak nations in Southeast Asia
currently.
Switzerland is removed off the list above as its daily new
cases experience intermittent spikes higher and the active cases curve moves
higher. Bahrain drops from the list above to the list below as daily new cases
rise beginning a third wave for this Middle East nation.
All the countries listed above are doing better at handling
the pandemic than the nations listed below (based on the data which nations may
or may not be reporting truthfully). The 38 worst global hotspots, that have
not yet flattened the active cases curve, are highlighted below. The projected
peaks in active cases dates (maximum stress on healthcare workers and medical equipment
and systems), based on the Keystone Model, are provided. The nations towards
the bottom of the list are in the worst covid trouble currently.
Greece (Second Wave) (there are
issues with the data)
11/19/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever 12/12, 12/18 and 12/19/20)
11/30/20 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days; curve continues higher)
Indonesia (Second Wave)
12/3/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
12/31/20 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 28 days)
Dominican Republic (Second Wave)
12/10/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest since July)
12/21/20 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
Serbia (Third Wave) (there are
issues with the data)
12/10/20 New Case Peak Date
12/21/20 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
Albania (Third Wave)
12/10/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
12/21/20 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
El Salvador (Second Wave)
12/12/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
12/23/20 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days; chart may have peaked on 12/23/20 as forecasted,
give it a few days)
Brazil (Second Wave)
12/17/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever 7/29, 12/16 and 12/17/20)
12/28/20 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
Kazakhstan (Second Wave) (data is
problematic)
12/17/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases for second ongoing over last 2 months)
1/14/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 28 days; chart may have peaked)
Sweden (Second Wave) (limited data
hampers analysis)
12/17/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
1/14/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 28 days)
Belgium (Second Wave) (there are
issues with the data)
12/17/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
1/14/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 28 days)
Denmark (Second Wave)
12/18/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
12/29/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
United States (Third Wave)
12/18/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever at 256K!!!)
1/15/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 28 days)
Netherlands (Third Wave)
12/20/20 New Case Peak Date (bad
news; highest new cases ever)
1/17/21 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 28 days)
Switzerland (Third Wave) (messy
choppy data)
12/21/20 New Case Peak Date
1/1/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 11 days)
Canada (Second Wave)
12/21/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever 12/7, 12/14 and 12/21/20)
1/18/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 28 days)
Germany (Second Wave)
12/23/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever 12/18 and 12/23/20)
1/3/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 11 days)
Nigeria (Second Wave)
12/23/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever on 12/17 and 12/23/20)
1/20/20 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 28 days)
UAE (Third
Wave) (problematic data)
12/24/20
New Case Peak Date
1/4/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days; may have peaked)
Czechia (Third Wave)
12/24/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases for third wave)
1/4/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 11 days)
Argentina (Second Wave Begins)
12/24/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases for second wave are 12/22, 12/23 and 12/24/20)
1/4/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 11 days)
Panama (Third Wave)
12/24/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
1/21/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 28 days)
Lebanon
12/24/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
1/21/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 28 days)
Spain (Third Wave Starting)
(limited and changing data hampers analysis)
12/24/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases for this new third wave)
1/21/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 28 days)
UK (Second Wave; potential third
wave starting) (limited data hampers analysis)
12/24/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever 12/23 and 12/24/20)
1/21/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 28 days)
South Korea (Third Wave)
12/25/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
1/5/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 11 days)
South Africa (Second Wave)
12/25/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
1/5/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 11 days)
Colombia
(Second Wave)
12/25/20
New Case Peak Date (highest new cases ever)
1/5/21 Projected
Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
Bolivia
(Second Wave Begins)
12/25/20
New Case Peak Date (highest new cases for second wave)
1/5/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
Bahrain
(Third Wave Begins)
12/25/20
New Case Peak Date (highest new cases for third wave are 12/24 and 12/25/20)
1/5/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
Israel
(Fourth Wave)
12/25/20
New Case Peak Date (highest new cases for fourth wave 12/24 and 12/25/20)
1/5/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
France (Third Wave)
12/25/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases for third wave 12/24 and 12/25/20)
1/22/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 28 days)
Mexico (Second Wave)
12/25/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever 12/23 and 12/25/20)
1/22/21 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 28 days)
Chile (Second Wave Begins) (there
are issues with the data set)
12/26/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
1/6/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 11 days)
Japan (Third Wave)
12/26/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever 12/25 and 12/26/20)
1/6/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 11 days)
Malaysia (Second Wave) (data may
be problematic)
12/26/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
1/6/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 11 days)
Belarus (Second Wave) (problematic
data)
12/26/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever in December)
1/6/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 11 days)
Ireland (Third Wave) (problematic
data hampers analysis)
12/26/20 New Case Peak Date (highest
new cases ever are 4/10/20 and 12/26/20)
1/23/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 28 days)
Egypt (Second Wave)
12/26/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases for second wave)
1/23/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 28 days)
Russia (Second Wave)
12/26/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever in December)
1/23/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 28 days)
The coronavirus data is not getting better for the world.
The virus continues to circulate around the globe repeatedly with nations
playing whack-a-mole. It subsides in one region and intensifies in another;
when that region improves, the virus is attacking a different cluster of
countries. And these dire scenarios are playing out with the standard COVID-19
virus. The new more transmissible strain has potential to create far more
infections at a faster pace which feeds global angst. People cringe each time
the new variant pops up in another country. In South Africa. Ouch. Japan. Ooh.
France. Oh my. This may not end well although the scientists say the mRNA
vaccines should be able to handle the new mutant strain.
The UK continues to struggle now shackled by the new
coronavirus variant strain (variant under investigation; VUI) called VUI-202012/01 or B.1.1.7 or simply B117. The COVID-19 variant is believed to be 70% more
transmissible than regular covid although not as deadly. What does that mean?
Picture Keystone, unknowingly infected with COVID-19, walking into a room where
a group of people are gathered (they were probably there to tell him he was
full of sh*t). He realizes he forgot his mask but he has to sneeze and,
ka-choooo! Keystone exits the room quickly since the stares from people are
non-welcoming. Let’s say three people become infected from Keystone’s COVID-19 germs,
droplets and aerosols that continue to float around the room for a couple
hours. If Keystone had the new coronavirus UK variant strain in his lungs,
throat and nasal passages, that is more virulent (this is a ten-dollar college
word that means ‘extremely severe’ and ‘harmful’) than regular ole COVID-19,
five people would become infected instead of three. Likewise, if six people are
infected with COVID-19, the new UK strain would have infected 10 people and if regular covid infected 30 people, the new UK strain would infect 50. We do not need a
more transmissible virus we need a less transmissible one.
Ireland takes a turn for the worst. Spain reports a big
spike in daily new cases which ushers in a new third wave. This hints that
Portugal may fall into the covid soup again over the next couple weeks. A spike
in daily new cases is occurring in France ushering in a third wave while the
active cases curve continues higher and higher. Europe may be slipping away
into more serious trouble again. Italy and Spain begin the Pfizer/BioNTech
vaccination program which is a positive.
Russia remains a covid Hell hole. The press is muted so the
world does not understand the plight of the Russian people that are dropping
like flies. Dictator Putin’s health will likely deteriorate as the months play
out so perhaps Russia is prime for a good ole-fashioned revolution in the
future. As mentioned above, Israel begins a new lockdown to try and squash that
fourth wave.
Chile had defeated the virus from August through November
but the daily active cases are on the rise sending the active cases curve
higher and beginning a dreaded second wave.
Indonesia and Malaysia are the two worst Asian nations
currently. Malaysia reports the highest daily new cases ever. That’s not good. The
Philippines is on shaky ground trying to maintain the current sideways move of
the virus. Japan and South Korea are fighting for their lives with nasty third
waves.
Japan will likely announce stricter lockdown measures. As
this is typed, coming across the wires, Japan is not letting anyone fly into
the country. Several UK folks brought the new variant into Japan the other day.
South Korea’s model testing and tracing program is under siege as smaller
onesies and twosies outbreaks are making tracking more difficult. The prior
outbreaks were groups of people at a club or event that were easier to trace.
Australia and Singapore are two examples of the best handling of the pandemic
while all other nations keep dipping in and out of the sticky covid swamp.
North America remains under siege. The USA, Mexico and
Canada are in bad shape with active cases curves continuing higher and higher.
172 Canadians died from COVID-19 on 12/23/20 the deadliest day since April and
May. The worst data from Canada is released on Mondays such as 12/7, 12/14 and
12/21/20, thus, Canucks must brace themselves for tomorrow’s data (12/28/20).
Canadians should wear mittens tomorrow so you can keep your fingers crossed as
the data is released.
The troubled US states are highlighted below with their
projections on when the active cases curve will peak-out (max strain on
healthcare system) as per the Keystone Model. 42 US states have failed to
flatten the active cases bell curve or they had successfully flattened the
curve only to fall back into covid Hell again as new cases and then active
cases rise with new waves.
At least this is better than 3 weeks ago when all 50 states
were on the list below with new cases rising and the active cases curves not
flattening.
The following 14 states have rolled their active cases curve
over to form, or start forming, the bell shape, and verify that the virus is being
defeated; Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Wisconsin,
Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio and New Hampshire. Nebraska is
added to this good list which expands from 8 states in the prior article to 14
now. Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio and New Hampshire are rolling their
active cases chart over to the downside. The Midwest states are battling back
at covid and beginning to stabilize which is great news (although the Christmas
and New Year’s holiday’s loom).
The worst 36 states are listed below. The absolute worst are
at the bottom of the list since their daily new cases are escalating the most
in recent days and hopes of flattening the active cases curve is a month or
more out into the future. An increase in new cases leads to higher active cases
and hospitalizations which then leads to more deaths. January and February are
not going to be a pretty picture and several hospitals may buckle under the
pressure.
US hospitalizations hit 120K but now pull back a bit to 118K
which is hopeful news and another sign that the patients from the Thanksgiving
holiday parties are working their way through the medical system.
Missouri
11/14/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever 11/10 and 11/14/20)
12/12/20 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (curve continues higher)
New Mexico (Third Wave)
(problematic data)
11/19/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
12/17/20 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (chart continues higher)
Louisiana (Third Wave) (choppy
messy data)
12/1/20 New Case Peak Date (highest
new cases ever)
12/29/20 Projected Active Case
Peak Date
Colorado (Third Wave) (problematic
data)
12/3/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever occur in November and early December)
12/31/20 Projected Active Case
Peak Date
Vermont (Third Wave) (problematic
data)
12/3/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever 12/1 and 12/3/20)
12/31/20 Projected Active Case
Peak Date
Oregon (Third Wave)
12/4/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
1/1/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
Rhode Island (Second Wave)
12/5/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever 12/4 and 12/5/20)
1/2/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
Indiana (Third Wave)
12/5/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever 11/14, 12/3 and 12/4/20)
1/1/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (may have peaked 12/20/20)
Alaska (Second Wave)
12/5/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
1/2/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
New Jersey (Second Wave)
12/6/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
1/3/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
Washington (Third Wave)
12/7/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
1/4/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
Idaho (Second Wave)
12/9/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
1/6/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
Kentucky
12/10/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
1/7/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
Pennsylvania (Second Wave)
12/11/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
1/8/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
Maryland (Third Wave)
12/12/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever 12/4 and 12/12/20)
1/9/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
Nevada (Second Wave)
12/12/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
1/9/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
Arizona (Second Wave)
12/14/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever 12/8 and 12/14/20)
1/16/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
Connecticut (Second Wave)
12/14/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever 12/7 and 12/14/20)
1/11/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
California (Second Wave)
12/16/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
1/13/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
Tennessee (Second Wave)
12/16/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever 12/13 and 12/16/20)
1/13/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
North Carolina (Third Choppy Wave)
(data is messy)
12/18/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
1/15/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
Delaware (Third Wave)
12/19/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever 12/12, 12/14 and 12/19/20)
1/11/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
Hawaii (Third Wave)
12/20/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases for third wave)
1/17/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
Oklahoma (messy data)
12/20/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
1/17/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
Alabama
12/22/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever 12/18 and 12/22/20)
1/19/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
South Carolina (Third Choppy Wave)
12/23/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever 12/18 and 12/23/20)
1/20/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
Mississippi (Third Wave) (messy
data)
12/23/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever 12/9, 12/12 and 12/23/20)
1/20/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (data is choppy and messy)
Texas (Second Wave)
12/23/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever 12/12, 12/22 and 12/23/20)
1/20/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
Maine (Second Wave)
12/24/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever 12/23 and 12/24/20)
1/21/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
Virginia (Second Wave)
12/24/23/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
1/21/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
Florida (Third Wave)
12/24/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases for third wave almost ever)
1/21/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
Arkansas
12/24/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
1/21/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
Georgia (Third Wave)
12/24/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
1/21/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
West Virginia (Third Wave)
12/25/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever 12/17 and 12/25/20)
1/22/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
New York (Second Wave)
12/25/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever 12/18 and 12/23, 12/24 and 12/25/20)
1/22/20 Projected Active Case Peak Date
Massachusetts (Second Wave)
12/26/20 New Case Peak Date
(highest new cases ever)
1/23/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
That’s an ugly list. Covid is targeting the US East Coast
infecting Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia and
Florida, and working inland to West Virginny, Arkansas and Alabammy. Texas is
spanked hard by covid and it is difficult to improve when Mexico is a giant
infected covid nest. The virus is spreading out of control in Mexico and the
southern US states are reporting ICU beds at over capacity.
Georgia is in the political spotlight with the two Senate
runoff elections on tap 1/5/21 only nine days away. The daily new cases hit
their highest ever on Christmas Eve in the Peach State. It looks like lots of
democrats are mailing in votes like the presidential election unwilling to
leave the house. The ongoing coronavirus outbreak may deter folks from visiting
the polls?
New York reports 12.5K daily new cases in recent days the
most ever. Keystone has been looking for a copy of Governor Cuomo’s book in the
bargain bin at Ollie’s but with no luck. Perhaps when the restaurants reopen,
someday, Keystone will find a copy of Cuomo’s book on the floor being used to
level a table. New York needs to reference Cuomo’s ‘Leadership Lessons from the
COVID-19 Pandemic’ to find out what to do going forward. Cuomo brags in the
book that the pandemic was handled great but it is now at its worst ever. Maybe
he will write a second book?
Tennessee is smacked hard with a triple whammy of trouble; coronavirus
cases, storms creating massive flooding and damage, and on Christmas morning, a
bomb. The investigation continues. Three are wounded.
Two Americans are dying every minute from coronavirus. The
pandemic is spiraling out of control and the United States is leaderless.
President Trump is in power for only 24 more days. America will likely not be
able to flatten the active cases curve until mid to late January and this is
not including any surge from Christmas and New Year’s parties which will extend
the misery into February. We’re screwed. The coronavirus pandemic in 2021 is
going to look a lot like 2020.
The United States will probably be going into covid panic
mode just as President-elect Biden is sworn into office. The US hospital system
will likely be collapsing. If you have a heart attack in January or February, or
twist your ankle after stepping on a Lego, it may be difficult to receive quick
care.
Coronavirus preferentially kills obese people and those with
diabetes, hypertension and high blood pressure. Age is also a factor since
anyone under 69 years old that is healthy should beat the disease but anyone
over 70 has one foot in the casket. Unfortunately, nothing can be done about
age, but of course diet and exercise will make you healthier and better
equipped to fight covid.
Avoiding people is the key. Shop once per week. Limit your
interaction with the public. Remember to keep your immune system at the maximum
strength possible by taking zinc, vitamins A, C and D-3, and turmeric, each
day. Check with doc but this regimen will maintain your body at maximum
strength. Walmart and other stores are already out of zinc like the springtime.
Take zinc and D-3 daily as a bare absolute minimum.
Attention folks of color such as blacks, browns, Latino’s
and Native Americans; take vitamin D-3 and zinc each day! Tell your neighbors!
A bottle of D-3 is cheap only a buck or two and something you can find at the
dollar store or Walmart. It is important you step up and become proactive for
your own health and your family’s health so take that zinc and D-3 each day.
The government should be handing out free bottles of zinc and D-3 to folks in
the inner city, on reservations, in rural poor areas such as Appalachia, in
prisons and to the homeless sleeping on city streets.
The medical community needs to continue investigating
treatments for coronavirus including the use of ivermectin (deworming medicine that is effective against covid) and
hydroxychloroquine (the malaria drug that helps with preventive care and early onset of covid but is useless once the disease takes hold of your body). Also, tonic water is of interest as a preventive measure against covid. Tonic water contains quinine which is a distant relative to hydroxychloroquine. The medical community says it is useless but if it does not hurt, why not? Consider drinking a small bottle of tonic water each day or every other day. Humorously, many Americans are already drinking tonic water daily pouring it into a highball glass along with a shot of gin, and a twist of lime; a temporary escape from the pandemic stress.
Open minds should consider the EVMS (Eastern Virginia
Medical School) COVID-19 MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL which explains the MATH+ and other
protocols for treating coronavirus. America has to relearn how to row in the
same direction instead of everyone splashing around in circles. It takes
leadership to have everyone singing from the same hymn sheet and this is what
the country and society lacks these days. Donnie’s out golfing again; he just
sliced a drive off the fourth tee into the woods. He told the greenskeeper that
he won the election.
A recent study reports that nearly 80% of Americans say
covid is adding to their stress in their daily lives. Humorously, the other 20%
are likely retired. Sadly, for healthcare workers, the number is 100%.
Hospitals need more personnel. Older, and even retired, nurses are pressed back
into service. Some states are so desperate for healthcare workers that you
would get hired even if you were only a candy striper for one day 30 years ago.
If you can yell the word, “Stat!” you’re hired. Doctors, nurses and medics will
have to pace themselves over the coming two months since it will be a hairy
time. Channel the tortoise and the hare story in your mind and repeat out loud,
“slow and steady wins the race.” The icy and snowy roads in the northern states
will add to the coronavirus misery early in the new year.
The flu typically picks up in January and February so
hospitals may get hit with a double-whammy of covid and regular flu patients.
Perhaps the covid vaccination may help combat the regular flu? That is a
question for a doctor. Or similarly, those that have had a flu shot this
season, will that help combat covid? The regular flu season typically accounts
for between 25k and 65k deaths each year so a lot of those bodies will likely
end up being reported as covid deaths.
Folks that have beat coronavirus are asked to donate plasma.
‘The Fight Is In Us’ website is promoting the idea of donating your valuableplasma.
The isolation due to coronavirus restrictions, poor economy and
wintertime is no doubt getting folks down but better days will be ahead. About 40 million Americans deal with OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) issues. 17 million Americans deal with depression. You are not alone, folks! Hang in there, better times are coming.
Suicides remain elevated so make sure you check on folks that may be having a
tough time. If you are feeling blue, despondent, tired, maybe disgusted, or
even angry, seek out folks to talk to including on line. Tomorrow will always
be a better day. Always remember to wait just one more day since things will get better. Help is a simple phone call away at
800-662-HELP (4357) or 800-273-8255. Those are good listeners and
non-judgmental folks on the other side of the line that are always glad to
help in any way they can.
The mRNA vaccines continue around the world. 2 million
Americans are vaccinated out of a desired goal of about 250 million to reach
herd immunity levels in 2021. The longest journeys begin with the first step
and we are on our way. Concern remains that not enough Americans will be
willing to take the vaccine.
The pandemic rages on. January and February will
be the worst COVID-19 months. President Trump ignores the pandemic unless it is
news related to vaccines. Trump displays a colossal failure of leadership this
year as evidenced by the coronavirus pandemic spiraling out of control with no
end in sight. Will a President Biden perform better or is he going to be
sleeping on the job in the Whitehouse basement?
Note Added Sunday Evening, 12/27/20: The president tweets that good things are happening with the stimulus bill. Trump wants the spotlight on himself and it is unclear whether he will sign the bill. The reality television show continues for another 24 days. Shortly after the tweet, Trump signs the fiscal stimulus bill and the defense bill. Of course he does. Donnie simply needed to flex his baby muscles for a week but unfortunately, some Americans will lose a week of unemployment by his baby games. This was predictable. Donnie is easy to gauge after watching him for four years; he behaves like the stereotypical spoiled little rich kid always used to getting his own way. That's Our Donnie. He called the stimulus bill a "disgrace" but now signs the disgrace into law. Trump likes to play the role as king without ever showing an interest in the legislative process. His rule ends in three weeks and then Biden will introduce a whole new set of headaches. The Georgia runoff elections are only a week away. Over 340K Americans are dead from coronavirus. 3K people are dying per day which is a 9-11 every day. 1 in 1,000 Americans are dead from coronavirus. 1 in every 17 Americans have been infected with COVID-19.
Note Added Monday Morning, 12/28/20: 1.3 million Americans travel through airports yesterday the most active day of the pandemic. What can you say to that? Now you see why the red dotted-line scenario in the US active cases chart above is the likely scenario ahead for January and February. It will be sad times; perhaps a modern-day version of Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. Over 341K Americans are dead from coronavrus. California hospitals are under siege and will be unable to handle a January surge. Over 2.1 million people have been infected with covid in California and over 24K are dead. There are over 20K people in California hospitals currently a record. Rationed care in the USA is on the way. The UK has carried out 600K vaccinations thus far. China jails a journalist for four years for reporting on the Wuhan Virus outbreak this year. Of course they do. That is what dirtbag Chinese communists do. Never trust a filthy communist; they will slit your throat while you sleep. China's CCP has been covering-up the COVID-19 bioterrorism scandal since it began. The CDC offers useful information on vaccines on the Vaccines & Immunizations page, however, it would be nice to see an ongoing tally of the number of vaccinations completed in America. Bloomberg offers a cool map and tallies on the vaccinations on its 'Tracking COVID-19' page. Over 4.4 million vaccinations are complete around the world in nine nations. The United States has vaccinated 2 million people thus far. For the last six days, US hospitalizations hold steady between 118K and 120K as per the COVID Tracking Project. That is encouraging news but sadly, we all know where things are going. Folks are out partying like its 1999 this week into New Year's Eve. Many will become sick. Some will die. A large influx of patients in January will cause some hospitals to buckle. Care will be rationed. For the folks ignoring CDC guidelines and choosing to cavort with friends instead, their party hats, noise-maker's and red Solo cups can be placed in their coffins as memento's.
Note Added Monday Afternoon, 12/28/20: The new UK variant VUI-202012/01 is identified in Finland, Portugal, Norway and Jordan in addition to France, Japan, Ireland and elsewhere. The new strain has not yet appeared in the USA although scientists say it is likely here as well. America remains slow and inept at boosting its testing programs and products; this is one of the reasons the new variant is not yet identified in the states. Where's Donnie? Comically, although it is actually tragic and shows dereliction of duty, he is on the golf course again. Trump brags that he is taking meeting and talking to Congress but there is no sign of that and it is hard to do that when golfing. There is encouraging news on the AstraZeneca and Novavax vaccines. The US stock market prints additional record highs. The S&P 500 Index (the US stock market) hits 3741 and the Dow reaches 30526. Easy money pumps stocks higher and higher. The House passes a bill to increase the individual $600 payment in the stimulus bill to $2,000. Trump is on the democrat's side. Some republicans voted for the bill as well. The ball is now in Senate Leader McConnel's court who will decide to bring it to a vote, or not. If so, republicans may have to go on record as voting against a bill that is giving individual Americans more money. That's not a good way to get reelected. Trump is trying to shaft everyone on his way out the door. The political theater continues into the inauguration so there are 23 more days of Donnie remaining. US intelligence is identifying Chinese hackers trying to steal vaccine and other technology from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Of course they are; that is what filthy communists do. Spain reports 50,122 total covid deaths this year crossing the 50K level joining nine other nations (US (343K dead), Brazil (192K), India (148K), Mexico (123K), Italy (72K), UK (71K), France (63K), Russia (55K) and Iran (55K)). US hospitalizations are over 100,000 patients for 26 days in a row!
Note Added Monday Evening, 12/28/20: 2.1 million Americans have been vaccinated, however, 11.5 million doses have been shipped. This hints that a bottleneck is in the system. The program should be given a chance to expand but it is off to a poor start. It is concerning that the planning went into delivering the vaccines to states but the program is slow in distributing the vaccinations into arms. Many state government budgets are thin on money so it will be difficult to speed-up the implementation of the vaccines. Pfizer has vaccine stored in its warehouse ready to ship. This is starting not to look good. People want the vaccine but cannot get it. Hopefully, the sluggish start to the vaccination program will improve. The same overworked healthcare workers dealing with covid patients are now the same workers that have to administer vaccine shots. CVS and other drug store chains will play an important role in giving the shots. Many pharmacists have been providing flu, tetanus and other shots to the public for many years. If you ever made it through a medical classes long enough to shoot an orange with a syringe, call the local hospital, they will probably hire you.
Note Added Tuesday Morning, 12/29/20: The US is at 19.7 million coronavirus cases on its way to 20 million. The four states with the most COVID-19 cases are California (2.2 million), Texas (1.7 million), Florida (1.3 million) and New York with 973K people infected this year. New York will be joining the 1 million club and Texas will be joining the 2 million club in 2021. New York is bringing charges against a clinic for false representation and fraudulently obtaining the vaccine. The clinic was giving out shots to the general public rather than following New York state guidelines. The public just so happened to be rich folks that were rolling up their sleeves for a shot at $150 a pop. The wealthy elite are always at the front of the line in crony, rigged America. The officials will pretend that they take care of the corruption but it will continue as long as the pandemic continues. The US daily new cases are decreasing nicely to the 145K to 170K per day range the last few days. US deaths are down into the 1,400 to 2,000 per day range the last few days which is of course horrific, however, it is better than 3,000 or more dead per day. The lower numbers may simply be due to lower holiday reporting (which will require catch-up in early January). Is it the calm before the storm? You can hear a pin drop as scientists and doctors wonder if the daily new cases will spike wildly higher in January due to the Christmas and New Year's holiday parties, the cavorting and oh yes, the comingling fun. Mistletoe will probably be responsible for many future covid cases and deaths not to mention the spiked eggnog. New Year's Eve is coming fast. Some Americans are choosing to ignore the CDC guidelines instead loading shopping carts with party hats, noisemakers, fireworks, booze, chips, lunchmeat and red Solo cups ready for the big once-per-year par-tay! Why not live for today and not worry about tomorrow?.
Note Added Tuesday Afternoon, 12/29/20: The UK variant strain B117 is identified in a coronavirus patient in Colorado, USA. America officially has the new UK virus strain on its shores. Interestingly, the man has not traveled to the UK and has no connection to the new strain outbreak. One year into the pandemic, and the scientists and doctors still do not understand in detail how the virus is spreading. They don't know. China's vaccines are being met with skepticism since the filthy communists will not provide testing information and other data. Of course they won't; they are filthy communists. Why would you receive a shot from the same people that released the bioterrorism experiment to begin with? That's stupid. Russia is experiencing the same hesitancy with its Sputnik vaccine. Russia is blaming America and the West, as usual, for negative publicity and news coverage. The Ruskies say the US wants to build a competitive advantage over the Sputnik vaccine. Russia claims that Sputnik will outperform all other vaccines in the world but they will not provide the data; just like China. The Ruskies proudly declare that a partnership will be announced with China in the coming days concerning the vaccines. Hilariously, that will not help boost world confidence, it will only serve to erode it. Two dirtbag nations teaming-up that want to shoot God-knows-what into bodies around the world. No thanks. Statisticians are questioning Russia's death numbers which appear to be extremely underreported. Russian morgues are overflowing with bodies. Off the record, the Ruskie doctors and nurses describe the covid situation as 'Hell on Earth'.
Note Added Tuesday Evening, 12/29/20: The US stock market, the S&P 500, prints an all-time record high at 3756, the highest number in history, goosed by Federal Reserve and Congressional easy money. The wealthy, that own large stock portfolios, dance with glee. President-elect Biden speaks telling Americans that there is still a long road ahead to defeat the virus. He thanked Trump for his efforts with helping to move along vaccine development but criticizes the distribution plan. Biden says the plan is falling "far behind." America has shipped over 11 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine with only 2.3 million shots administered thus far. At first, it is fair to allow a little bit of time to ramp-up the program but nothing has happened through the Christmas weekend. Wake up people! COVID-19 is a once in a century pandemic. People should have been vaccinated through the weekend. The vaccine sits there and the shot-giver's went home saying 'see you on Monday'. American incompetence sad to say. The United States should immediately have all medical students proceed to practicing administering vaccine shots to oranges. Perhaps some type of emergency authorization could be given to people for a limited time that they are permitted to give shots to patients. America probably needs shot-giver's more than anything. This should have already been ramped-up the last few months. Where's Donnie? Bueller? Donnie? The nurses have enough headaches and stress already so the country needs shot-giver's pronto. Biden urges the use of masks and hopes Trump will set an example but that is stupid at this point. Trump is on his way out and he is not going to change his weak example for the public during his last 22 days in office. Louisiana Congressman-elect Luke Letlow, only 41 years old, a republican, dies from covid complications. He leaves behind a wife and two small children. Senate Leader McConnell announces a plan to take up the House bill that provides $2,000 individual checks for Americans, plus a repeal some of the Section 230 Rules (Communications Decency Act) that impact social internet companies (Trump was screwed during the election campaign by Facebook, Twitter and others that censored the president's messages while cheerleading Sleepy Joe Biden's comments) and form a committee that looks into election fraud. These were the three items Trump had requested when he balked at signing the bill a week ago. The democrat-controlled House wants the Senate to handle the $2,000 individual check as a separate bill as does the president as does most Americans. Trump is screwing the republican party for not backing him up on the election fraud accusations. McConnel is lumping stuff together since the other two items serve as poison pills and a way to shoot the bill down. Republicans still pretend that they are the fiscally responsible party. The $2,000 individual payment will probably die a slow death until after 1/20/21 when Sleepy Joe will wake up and start running the country his way. If McConnell buckles and allows a vote on the straight $2,000 bill, republicans will have to go on record as not wanting to provide struggling Americans two thousand bucks. Meanwhile, King Donnie rides off into the sunset on a white horse telling folks he wanted to give everyone more money but some of the republican party deserted him. The republicans lay in bed with the showman for four years, fulfilling his needs, but now they wake up and get a good look at their partners' scary orange face in the morning light.
Note Added Wednesday Morning, 12/30/20, at 3:00 AM EST: The spike in UK coronavirus cases is out of control. Dear Lord. The UK reports 53,135 daily new coronavirus cases blowing away any prior numbers. The UK breaks records for two consecutive days. The virus spread is rampant. There are more people in British hospitals than ever before. The healthcare system is teetering on the brink of despair. UK PM Johnson will likely announce stricter lockdown measures. Boris will have to do something since the pandemic is engulfing the nation. People are losing confidence and ignoring the government-imposed rules which only leads to more infections. This behavior is also occurring in the States and all around the world. On a positive note, the UK government regulators approve the AstaZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine. The centuries-old University of Oxford is England's pride and joy so of course it is called the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine across the pond. The AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine has advantages over the mRNA vaccines (Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna) since it can be stored in the refrigerator without special requirements. It is also good news since folks that are hesitant about the new mRNA technology may be more agreeable to receiving a conventional-style vaccine. the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine is about 70% effective against covid after two doses, but oddly, is about 90% effective if a half dose is given initially followed by a full dose a month or so later. There is also continued hope for the Novavax and J&J vaccines that are currently in drug trials. In parts of California, there are no hospital beds available. The pandemic is a mess and it has all occurred under President Trump's watch.
Note Added Wednesday Morning, 12/30/20, at 4:30 AM EST: UK Health Secretary Hancock touts the success of the Oxford/Astra/Zeneca vaccine and proclaims that the vaccine will pull the UK out of the pandemic by spring according to the news wires. What is he smoking? The news headline is misleading. Hancock says, "I am also now, with this (vaccine) approval this morning, highly confident that we can get enough vulnerable people vaccinated by the spring that we can now see our route out of this pandemic." Note he says vulnerable people not all the people needed for herd, or community, immunity. He also says a route out of the pandemic can be seen in the spring, it is a beginning not an end, so the politician has enough weasel words in play to cover his butt in the future. Isn't politics nauseating?
Note Added Wednesday Morning, 12/30/20, at 5:00 AM EST: Several doctors and scientists are discussing a different approach to the vaccine distribution where more people are given the first dose and the second doses are delayed. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require the booster shot about 3 to 4 weeks after the initial shot, however, there is likely a window of up to three months (12 weeks) where the booster would still be effective. The UK is considering rolling out the Oxford vaccine in this manner choosing to vaccinate more people initially and then following up with the booster a month or two later. The pandemic may be stopped faster if more people are given initial shots and then the booster can follow up maybe 6 to 9 weeks later. Pfizer and Moderna should comment on the viability of their vaccines and whether this idea has merit about delaying the second dose so more people can receive a first dose. The vaccine was not tested this way in the trial so that may prohibit the companies from offering a different treatment regimen. People have good ideas worth discussing and implementing but you need leadership for this to occur. Where are the leaders? Donnie's on the phone with the caddymaster setting up a tee time.
Note Added Wednesday Afternoon, 12/30/20: The Moderna vaccine hits a snag where a shipment to Texas violates storage temperature guidelines delaying 144K shots. The elderly are being vaccinated but some folks are standing in lines for a few hours. This is not acceptable. There is more heat coming down on the Whitehouse about the vaccine distribution problems. Trump blames the states in a tweet proclaiming, "The Federal Government has distributed the vaccines to the states. Now it is up to the states to administer. Get moving!" What a weak statement. Donnie tells the governors to get moving as he raises his right leg to relieve some gas on the fifth tee. President Trump's big mistake this year in the April-ish time frame was dumping the pandemic off on the states (governors). For a man who was always looking for a Winston Churchill moment, when the time came, he balked. Trump calculated that the pandemic would probably flitter away before the election and in the meantime if something went wrong he would blame the governors and if things went well he would claim the credit. Sounds like a good plan, right? Wrong. 50 states rowing in 50 different directions was not the way to go. The pandemic needed leadership and Donnie chose not to instead placing all his eggs in the vaccine basket and walking away from the situation. 10 months later the pandemic is spiraling out of control at its worse. After all these months, testing in the US remains a mess and inadequate. The only reason more Americans have not yet been identified with the new UK variant B117 is because the testing program remains weak.
Note Added Wednesday Evening, 12/30/20: The UK B117 strain appears in California and one more patient is identified in Colorado. California hospitals are overrun. Oxygen supplies are low. Paramedics in some locations are telling folks to take care of themselves at home. In Washington state, 70 employees at a Costco test positive for covid on Christmas Eve and now over 70 more are stricken with the virus. The store remains open. The virus spreads whether people wear masks or not. In Oregon, Sandy Mayor Pulliam defies Governor Brown's lockdown orders proclaiming, "Our neighbors are simply unable to continue drowning in arbitrary rules that are bankrupting their family businesses. Governor Brown, we are opening." Puliam declares, "Enough is enough." People need to earn a living and are willing to take their chances with the virus that only threatens death to those over 70 years old. From the start, people over 70 should have been quarantined, and those at high risk, but the rest of society should have continued on to support the economy. Hindsight is always 20/20. The natives are getting restless. People have to work so that means the virus will continue spreading and this may be the root cause of the virus spread the whole year long. Folks need money to live on and cannot be locked down indefinitely. The pandemic is a complete chaotic mess. Donnie's golfing and just told the cartboy that he won the election.
Note Added Thursday Morning, 12/31/20, at 4:00 AM EST: COVID-19 has now claimed over 1.8 million lives on earth. China's bioterrorism crime against humanity is devastating and the worst may be yet to come. The world is above 83 million coronavirus cases. Wow. That all started with one person about a year ago. Covid loves crowds and people are partying during the holidays. Par-tay, and get sick, and die. UK virus cases increase by 40% over the last week! 981 Brit's die from covid yesterday a huge jump this amount of deaths not seen since April. UK PM Johnson declares stricter lockdown measures on the population. 125K Mexicans are dead from covid this year. 990 Mexican's die yesterday only exceeded by the deaths on 6/4/20 and 6/22/20. There are over 20 million coronavirus cases in the United States; 20.2 million to be exact and increasing. US DEATHS CROSS 350K TO 350,778 THIS YEAR. 3,880 AMERICANS DIE FROM COVID-19 YESTERDAY THE DEADLIEST DAY EVER. OVER 20 THE USA HITS THE 20 MILLION TOTAL CASES LEVEL A SAD MILESTONE. US hospitalizations exceed 125K. That is shameful. Where's Donnie? Bueller? Donnie? US daily new cases are 235K yesterday which is terrible news; it is going to extend the time the US active cases curve needs to flatten and roll over (flattening the curve). The AstraZeneca vaccine may not be available in the United States until April. In Congress, the $2,000 individual payment as part of a stimulus bill is dying. Of course it is; the rich always get theirs and then they opine that there is nothing remaining for the huddled masses. There will be payback for the last five decades of crony capitalism and corporate socialism. China approves a vaccine for general use. Who cares? What are the filthy corrupt Chinese communists placing in that shot? Go ahead, you can take it. You first.
Note Added Thursday Morning, 12/31/20, at 5:00 AM EST: There are four key issues concerning the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in the United States. First, the slow rollout of the vaccines. The bozo's had 10 months to prepare and are failing. For vaccines to sit around from Christmas Eve into Monday and Tuesday is unacceptable. 12.2 million vaccines are delivered but only 2.6 million shots in arms. The original goal was 20 million so the Whitehouse only achieved 13% of its goal. The first shot was on 12/14/20 so that is 2.6 million shots in 17 days or 153K vaccinations per day. 500 million shots are needed for the US to reach herd immunity so at this current pathetic rate, America would reach herd immunity 3,268 days from now which is 9.2 years. That's not going to cut it. Step up the pace boys. Chop chop. America needs to be vaccinating at a rate of 2 or 3 million shots per day (remember that people have to get two shots spaced a month or so apart further complicating the pandemic mess). The virus testing czar Admiral Brett Giroir provides double-speak and makes a lot of promises that things will get better. Ditto Operation Warp Speed Adviser Dr Slaoui who admits the vaccine roll-out is going slower than expected. Ya think? Slaoui declares, "We know that it should be better, and we're working hard to make it better." People always use the word 'we' when there is trouble but 'I' when it is time to take credit. As Tonto said to the Lone Ranger when he was asked to perform a dangerous task, "What's this 'we' sh*t, white man?" Slaoui diverts attention touting the J&J vaccine that may be a one-shot treatment available in February. General Perna, the operation chief that boasted that the vaccine distribution would operate flawlessly, is busy removing egg off his face. He may be a brilliant general on the battlefield but his many months-long preparation for the vaccine distribution results in incompetence. He uses snowstorms as an excuse for slowing vaccine deliveries. The American people do not want excuses, they want results. In high school, Gustave would tell the teacher that his dog ate his homework. Americans lose confidence in the vaccine program as missteps occur. The second key issue, or problem, is the mutations occurring. The virus is kicking into its A-game now and producing six or more mutation strains per week. The vaccines under development may not be as effective against these new strains (although the doctors and scientists say otherwise; of course they do). Third, the testing program is a mess and that is due to Giroir's incompetence. If you are wondering why the pandemic is spiraling out of control after nearly one year, simply look at the incompetence on display by The Three Stooges above and they are under the command of King Donnie Trump. The home testing kits are a great development in the pandemic fight but at $25 and $30 a pop, most people do not have money like that to throw away on tests. The doctor pays only $5 for the tests and then marks the price up. Everybody needs to make a buck but come on dudes, we're in the middle of a pandemic. Americans should be able to buy those tests for five bucks as well just like the doctors. This would greatly help to defeat the virus. People will become more vigilant if it does not cost too much. If they test positive, they can self-quarantine. Americans can take charge of their own destinies and health which is what Americans do but they must be given the proper tools and direction from competent leadership. Therein lies the problem. This pandemic will rage on and on. The fourth key issue concerning the pandemic is the lack of participation in the mask-wearing and social distancing guidelines. A recent poll shows 25% of the American population simply refusing to wear a mask. The jury remains out on masks. The mask-wearing to date has not stopped the pandemic although the counter-factual argument, which could never be proved, hints that the masks helped a little (we are better off to use masks than to not use masks). The human contact is the most important. Stay away from people and you will not get coronavirus. It is really that simple but hard to do. You have to exchange money with the store clerks and you want to hug your family and friends. You touch the fuel pumps at the gasoline station and pull on door handles to enter and exit buildings. It appears hopeless to stop a highly contagious virus under such conditions. As with most viruses throughout history, COVID-19 will likely begin flittering away come June and beyond about 18 months after it begins. Many viruses burn themselves out and simply disappear. This is likely the path for covid ahead. Things will improve in the back half of 2021 but simply because the virus chooses to flitter away and diminish and without much to do about masking and vaccines.
Note Added Thursday Morning, 12/31/20, at 10:00 AM EST: On NBC's Today Show, Dr Fauci says, "We would've liked to have seen it run smoothly and have 20 million doses into people today, by the end of 2020, which was the projection. Obviously, it didn't happen and that's disappointing." There's that 'we' word again. They should be able to get the vaccines on track going forward. Once things are on the ground, problems are solved quickly. Instead of the coronavirus pandemic, it should be the mea culpa pandemic because every 10 minutes some official has to talk to the press apologizing about a screw-up or misstep. They are doing the best they can. Americans have to quit beating each other up with the nasty, not constructive, criticism and non-stop bickering, especially in the middle of a pandemic. Perhaps the winter air and new year will clear everyone's head.
Note Added Thursday Morning, 12/31/20, at 10:10 AM EST: Ohio reports that 60% of nursing home staff workers are choosing not to take the vaccine. Oh my. America is smacked squarely in the face with a vaccine hesitancy issue. The government had better not mandate vaccinations, if so, there will be Hell to pay. Vaccine hesitancy, that was lurking in the shadows, steps out into the light of day.
Note Added Thursday Afternoon, 12/31/20: President Trump cuts the vacation short returning to Washington, DC, with the First Lady to ring in the new year from the Whitehouse. Folks paid over $1K a plate for the dinner party at Mar-a-Lago this evening but Donnie will be a no-show. All they get is a red MAGA hat with a spaghetti stain on the brim. He does not want to face the people but he does want their money. Is it due to shame for the way he is acting? Probably not in his mind. Maybe he was afraid they would change the locks on the Whitehouse doors if he was gone for another day. News reports say the president is not happy the last few days but this may simply be the left-leaning media painting Donnie in a negative light. Trump has to feel the walls closing in around him. It will be 2021 in a few short hours and he only has 20 days remining in office. Republicans plan on making trouble at the 1/6/21 Congressional meeting when the electoral college votes are accepted. That day will be Donnie's last stand. Trump is a goofball at this point living in his fantasyland; he squatted and took a dump over his legacy and any plans on running again in 2024 are a pipe dream. Congress overrides his veto on the defense bill handing Trump the first veto loss in his presidency; Donnie is actually now creating a negative legacy. He knows its over. Enjoy the last 20 days and then America will next see you in the New York courts. Georgia Senator Perdue, one of the republicans in the 1/5/21 runoff election, is self-quarantining after a friend of his has tested positive for COVID-19. Perdue was not following mask guidelines to the letter, like most republicans, and they keep getting sick one at a time. Will this drama negatively impact Perdue in the election in five days?
Note Added Thursday Afternoon, 12/31/20: California reports its deadliest day ever with 579 deaths. Los Angeles County is a war-zone of casualties with over 7,500 patients hospitalized and nearly 300 die over the last 24 hours. Non-urgent care is delayed since medical facilities are maxed-out. Ambulance services are buckling under the pressure. The not-so-Golden State is working with the US military to handle the oxygen shortage at hospitals and medical facilities. COVID-19 is a respiratory virus so obviously people that are sick enough to need hospital care are going to need oxygen to help them breathe. Georgia is another covid epicenter of misery. The daily cases are spiking through the roof at 11.7K cases today the highest ever. Georgia has over 5K patients in hospitals and reopens a field hospital. Florida reports a patient with the new UK B117 variant. Worries also increase over the new strain out of South Africa, called "501.V2 Variant." There are fears that the UK and South Africa strains may preferentially impact children and young adults under 20 years of age. This news will frighten parents but it is better to know what may be coming rather than be blindsided. Everywhere you look the news worsens. China screwed the world bigtime. Happy New Year.
Note Added Friday Morning, 1/1/21: A Wisconsin pharmacist is arrested after allegedly deliberately spoiling a few hundred doses of the vaccine by removing it from the freezer. People are losing it. The motive is unknown. In West Virginia, people are given shots of antibody treatment instead of the vaccine by mistake. They will be fine but the screw-ups keep occurring left and right. No wonder some folks are saying Hell with it all and taking their chances with covid. In recent decades, American excellence and quality superiority evolves into American mediocrity. Florida Senator Rubio goes after Dr Fauci for providing lower percentage numbers on achieving herd immunity months ago, but now says as much as 90% of the population may need to be vaccinated. The herd immunity topic and numbers are laid out in detail above in the initial paragraphs. Fauci is wrong for watering-down the percentages months ago and then slowly increasing the numbers (in his mind he is saying he was bringing the public along slowly with the data but everyone knew what it would take for herd immunity); it is always best to level with the people that you want to lead. Fauci should have said 70% to 90% of Americans need vaccinated to reach herd immunity from the get-go. Fauci got some religion on the mea culpa and a few hours later says that herd immunity would likely not occur until the Fall. This is the latest time table stated to date. People need to be told the straight scoop. In truth, folks, 2021 is going to look a lot like 2020. You are big boys and girls. You can handle it.
Note Added Friday Afternoon, 1/1/21: Georgia opens the convention facility as a field hospital. Daily new cases are at a record 11.7K cases in Georgia. 88 people die a 3-month high. Dear Lord. Things are not so peachy in the Peach State. Virginia Senator Ben Chafin, Jr, a republican, dies from covid. Police break up large parties in London and in a few French cities as young folks ignore the lockdown rules and instead choose to get together and have fun ringing in the new year. Police are arresting people as the techno-beat continues in the background.... bomp, bomp, bomp..... Over 2,500 French citizens took to the streets ignoring President Macron's rules instead choosing to embrace wine, baguette, cigarettes and comradery. Bomp, bomp, bomp..... Perhaps the folks in Europe are watching Americans choosing to party so they want to party, too. These events only serve to spread the virus. Violence breaks out in US cities such as Chicago, Portland and Philadelphia. There is a lot of suffering going on in the US. The upper middle class and elite privileged class cruise through the pandemic without a care or worry as compared to the rest of the country struggling through lack of employment, high debt, covid, the winter blues and pandemic fatigue.
Note Added Friday Evening, 1/1/21: New York Mayor de Blasio is under fire for partying in Times Square when at the same time he prohibited everyone else from doing so. He simplky wanted the place for himself. The mayor celebrated the new year with his wife and family, and friends. Mayor de Blasio dances with his wife as confetti fell around them. Sickening. America is the land of the have's and have not's. Bow to the royal class. The mayor feels he and his crony friends are nobility so the rules for the peasants do not impact their lives. This constant lack of competent leadership across America will create more revolt over time and a public disinterested in listening to more rules. The adolescent behavior by officials may even turn people off about getting vaccinated. Three patients in San Diego are identified with the new UK B117 variant. The new UK variant is in 29 countries and spreading. Nations are shutting down travel to and from the UK. The new South Africa 501.V2 Variant is in eight countries and spreading. In the US, the HHS steps in to protect distilleries that made hand cleaner during the spring. Brewers that made the switchover to help the country now face a $15K FDA fee for operating as a hand sanitizer business; the HHS waves the fee. They have to, otherwise, if the situation happens again, the distilleries will give Uncle Sam the middle finger. A ventilator manufacturer did just that in the summertime after the Whitehouse screwed them on a prior order. There are other examples where companies step up to help and end up getting shafted, short-changed and stuck with the bill when they thought the government would reimburse them. This is America.
Note Added Saturday Morning, 1/2/21: The UK may have to open field hospitals to handle the patient load but there are no doctors and nurses to man the facilities. The UK is under siege. The pandemic is spiraling wildly out of control with UK PM Johnson under fire for his handling of the covid beast. Johnson is flip-flopping on guidelines since the virus worsens so people do not know what to believe, like the US. Boris told everyone they would have a Christmas then he had to play the role of the Grinch. UK schools are shutting down; they were supposed to remain open. The Imperial College of London says the new UK variant B117 spread three times faster than regular covid in November. Brit's are dropping like flies. 981 die on 12/30/20 and 964 on 12/31/20the two deadliest days of the second wave and rivaling the worst days of the first wave. The UK reports daily new cases above 50K for four straight days with a peak day at 56K cases the highest ever. It is easy to understand why UK medical officials want to vaccinate more people and delay the time between doses. The UK is in panic mode. For the most part, American doctors and Pfizer say the vaccine regimen should follow the trial regimen with the second booster shot given 3 or 4 weeks after the first shot depending on whether it is the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. That's all fine and dandy, but the UK is burning in covid Hell right now and needs immediate solutions. Perhaps the US will be in the UK's shoes a month from now and rethink their opinions, again. It would not be surprising if the United States adopted the approach of vaccinating a lot of people with the first shot and delay the time between shots simply to get some protection to the maximum amount of people even if it is only 50% effective. The American doctors think it is better to follow the regimen where less people will be vaccinated but they will be protected at 94% or better. Time will tell which approach wins the day, or if they both end up with similar end results. The main problem is vaccines sitting in freezers and not in people's arms. Send Keystone some syringes and he will practice on oranges and be glad to administer shots, although for one, he would not be permitted without the proper licenses and two, people probably would not have confidence in someone with hand tremors. Perhaps it is best to stay focused on the game in play and get the vaccines in peoples arms. The pandemic remains a mess with politicians and medical officials changing their directives and edicts every other day. It has been like this from the start; a disorganized chaotic mess. It is the main reason Donnie lost the election; at this point Trump appears completely incompetent at handling the pandemic; he was supposed to be the guy who knew how to manage projects but this is only a Hollywood persona.
Note Added Saturday Afternoon, 1/2/21: In Florida, folks are waiting for four hours in car lines miles long to receive the vaccine. The vaccine distribution program is officially a chaotic disaster. People in their late 70's and 80's are waiting in these long lines. The same shameful displays are occurring in Tennessee and Florida. Some lines are along sidewalks with the elderly sitting in lawn chairs they move forward three feet (1 m) at a time. It's ridiculous. Humorously, albeit tragically, and ironically, elderly people are probably contracting covid while waiting in line to receive the covid vaccine. Who's running the vaccine show? Is Trump sleeping? That General Perna must be sleeping on the job. Trump is too busy worrying about his fantasy election fraud stuff; so he is of no help. He washed his hands of the pandemic and now thinks more about his own future. Retired nurses are already pressed back into service but America needs an all-hands-on-deck approach for vaccine distribution. If you have shot anyone with a needle before, call the hospital, they will probably hire you. The US government needs to work on an emergency authorization for doctors, nurses and medics to come out of retirement and stick arms when vaccine is available. They should be paid an incentive if that is what it takes. Also liability protection. Get the job done Donnie. Chop chop. Where's Donnie? Bueller? Donnie? Trump is hiding in the closet in the Lincoln Bedroom his orange head only illuminated by the glow of the smartphone screen displaying the Twitter app. Mabel, the maid, enters the room to replace the towels. He whispers through a crack in the doorway to Mabel telling her that he won the election. She nods in agreement to be nice, quickly turns and hastens her pace out of the room while rolling her eyes.
Note Added Sunday Morning, 1/3/21: US hospitalizations are over 100K per day for 33 days running (since 12/2/20), over 110K for 21 days running (since 12/14/20) and over 120K for 6 days running (since 12/28/20). 124K Americans are hospitalized with covid yesterday. 12 million people have been vaccinated thus far in 30 countries around the world. 4.3 Americans have been vaccinated thus far out of the 13.1 million doses that have been delivered across the US. The shots in arms continues at a snail's pace in America. Trump is focused on trying to overturn the election on 1/6/21, which will fail, but that does not leave any of his time available to handle the pandemic. Trump ignores the worsening pandemic because to acknowledge it, is to acknowledge his failure, and Donnie never admits he is wrong. Mean while, Americans are dropping like flies. US media personality Larry King, in his late 80's, is in the hospital with covid. UK PM Johnson tells Brit's things will be back to normal by spring. Idiot. The UK is opening field hospitals as the yellow-haired dude spouts nonsense. Stupid politicians and medical officials keep talking positively instead of telling citizens the truth, and the people know it, so optimistic goals that always fail only serve to erode public confidence. It is amazing, and disheartening, to see the level of incompetence and lack of leadership skills among the West's top politicians around the world. A covid patient is dying every 10 minutes in Los Angeles County. The US military is aiding California and trying to maintain the oxygen supplies to hospitals. An official exclaims, We are on the brink of catastrophe!" By February, Americans will be wishing it was 2020.
Note Added Sunday Afternoon, 1/3/21: Fauci says the US vaccination program will ramp-up. Most countries are experiencing the same criticism from their citizens that the vaccinations are occurring too slowly. Human are impatient. France is facing a vaccine hesitancy, or vaccine skepticism if you will, with only 516 people vaccinated thus far. President Macron is not happy and vows to accelerate the program. The UK, Germany and Italy have vaccinated tens of thousands of citizens. The French are more skeptical of the vaccines than other European nations. America's incompetence is on full display these days. Trump has gone batty during his remaining days in office continuing to try and overturn the election. Trump badgers a Georgia official wanting him to change the vote count; it is bazaar stuff hearing it on the tape recording. Donnie may have went mental from not being able to accept the election loss. The pandemic spins out of control. Shamefully, Trump finally comments on the pandemic but says the numbers reported are fake. Oy vey. The orange man has issues. King Donnie wants the public to believe that the pandemic is not that bad and is only overblown by the press. 360K people are dead on Trump's watch; no one wants that legacy. Trump tweets; "The number of cases and deaths of the China Virus is far exaggerated in the United States because of the CDC's ridiculous method of determination compared to other countries, many of whom report, purposely, very inaccurately and low. "When in doubt, call it Covid." Fake News!" The president always talks in vague generalities. Maybe Donnie is finally realizing that his handling of the pandemic over the last year results in 360K dead Americans. Trump tweets; "The vaccines are being delivered to the states by the Federal Government far faster than they can be administered!" That tweet receives the stupid statement award. Duh. Trump is bragging about shipping a big cardboard box from one city to the next and he can do that faster than the city receiving the box that unwraps the vaccine, has to follow refrigeration protocols, has to then separate the shipment into groups to send to hospitals and clinics, and then those facilities have to vaccinate people exhausting the supply that was shipped. Good job, Donnie boy, you shipped a box, good job, sonny.
Note Added Sunday Evening, 1/3/21: Surgeon General Adams and Fauci say the coronavirus numbers and data are not fake news having to refute the president. Fauci says they are "real deaths." US airline travel hits record levels during the pandemic. There is an increase in US travel with each successive holiday. Some Americans are sick of the pandemic, throwing caution to the wind, and traveling. 1.2 people passed through airports yesterday. Fauci, in an NBC interview, decrees, "This is what happens. It's terrible. It's unfortunate, but it was predictable." Fauci says the pandemic will likely worsen over the next couple weeks due to the holiday travelling and gatherings. The gathering word is humorous. The refined class on television do not want to say the word party so they say gathering instead. Dr Slaoui is talking with Moderna about the possibility of going with a half dosage of vaccine, which did occur in their trials (although this may have been by accident), that would enable the US to stretch the vaccine supplies and vaccinate more people.
Note Added Monday, 1/4/21: The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine shots begin in the UK. UK PM Johnson addresses the nation announcing a new third lockdown to stop the pandemic. UK hospitals are overwhelmed. Schools close and on-line learning returns. As the hospital capacities are at limits and staff stretched, more people will die. South Korea expects to grant approval for the AstaZeneca vaccine in February. India approves the AstraZeneca vaccine and its domestic Covaxin treatment to combat the virus. Japan is on the verge of declaring a state of emergency for Tokyo as virus cases accelerate. 85.6 million people are infected with covid around the world and 60.5 million have recovered. 1.85 million are dead. The USA has 21.1 million people infected with covid (out of the 330 million population) and 12.4 million have recovered. 360,078 Americans have died from covid. President Trump calls this fake news. He needs his head examined. Dozens of Americans are arrested on New Year's Eve for violating lockdown rules such as too many people at a party. What has the US become? Up north, the Canadian police conduct a raid on a house that had six people at a gettogether which is over the permitted quota. A neighbor, that probably has a vendetta, ratted on them. This stuff is out of control.
Note Added Monday Afternoon, 1/4/21: The covid news remains dire. The US stock market collapses on the first day of trading in 2021. The S&P 500 Index loses 55 points, -1.5%, to 3701. The Dow loses 382 points, -1.3%, to 30224. The Nasdaq Composite sinks 190 points, -1.5%, to 12698.
Note Added Tuesday Morning, 1/5/21: The US virus cases top 21 million with over 362K Americans dead. The numbers remain sick. The question is how many infections will occur after the mistletoe and booze holidays. We will know in the days ahead. Friday's are key data days. The Georgia runoff elections are occurring today which determines which political party controls the Senate.
