re: Alabama Board Coronavirus Thread

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CFR update:
Age 0-17: ~9,908 cases, 3 deaths = 0.030% CFR
Age 18-24: ~15,292 cases, 4 deaths = 0.026% CFR
Age 65+: ~18,408 cases, 1,513 deaths = 8.219% CFR

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Have there been any studies that indicate common means of transmission among age groups?

It's interesting to me that there are about 25k cases in ages up to 24, and 18k in ages 65 and older.

Especially in consideration of the huge difference in CFR (0.03% vs. 8.2%), how is the oldest group continuing to contract this at a similar rate, assuming by this point most are retired and (presumably) remaining somewhat sheltered, isolated, etc.?

Bars and restaurant about to get shut down in Ttown by the City.

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how is the oldest group continuing to contract this at a similar rate, assuming by this point most are retired and (presumably) remaining somewhat sheltered, isolated, etc.?

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Every covid patient I've answered in the last month has been over 60. I think it's a combination of things.

First, in my very humble opinion, is that they're just more likely to catch any kind of bug.

Second, they can't be isolated completely. One of the patients had not been off his property in 6 months. The only people that had been in his house were his wife, kids, and home health provider - all people he completely trusts but one of them gave it to him.

Third, there's a group of them who understand they're at the point in life where making vacation plans for next summer was an exercise in optimism even before covid came around. After months of being shut it, they've decided the risk of missing the chance to do something they love right now is greater than the risk of catching and dying from covid. My father falls into this category. He's in his late 70s, has diabetes, and has been fighting a years-long battle with skin and prostate cancer. He straight up says he knows if he goes out and catches it, he will likely die from it - but he also straight out says avoiding that risk isn't as important to him as worshiping in person so he goes to church (with a mask and distanced). I worry about him, but I understand and respect his point.

Most educators I've talked to feel the same. No way they keep the teachers virus free. That's the bottleneck. Kids get it, send'em home, they go online. Teacher gets it, you're screwed. Few subs, the ones that are there probably don't have a certificate in the subject being taught, they are there simply to be a placeholder/babysitter. What do you do? My youngest chose to start the year today online so when they pull the plug on in-person, she's already in the routine and it's no change for her.

I wish we were like that. In the district where I work the high school has almost 200 in quarantine after the first week.

UA System Dashboard Tracker for virus.

LINK

And the administration is freaking out. Last night they announced they were kicking all the girls out of Mary Burke West by this weekend for more quarantine beds. Moving them to other dorms, not necessarily keeping roommates together. And here's $250 Bama cash for your trouble. Doesn't affect my kid but people are PISSED. Tomorrow is final withdrawal date without penalty and it sounds like kids are being pulled out in droves by parents.

They have shut down the Greek houses, dining halls are grab-n-go only. Online classes are mostly recorded sessions with little/no live interaction with the professors, many of whom aren't trying to be very accessible. It's turning into a real shitshow in Tuscaloosa because they seemingly had this fantasy scenario that they could keep 30,000 kids Covid free.

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UA has 531 of the 566. Uncool.

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If they have 531 positives in Tuscaloosa there are probably 10x that number who actually currently have it. UA needs to stay the course and simply manage the outbreak on campus, because the student population will likely have almost zero serious complications from the virus, and because the last thing they need to be doing (for a number of reasons) is panicking, shutting down campus, and shipping off thousands of asymptomatic carriers to their parents and grandparents around the country.