Just to keep track of the nonsense that has wrecked our economy and generally made our politicians run around as if their fool heads were on fire, each day I publish the corona virus total death toll in the US based upon the latest data I can find. A single death is an immense tragedy if you love the person. However, we are not talking about love, but rather public policy, which should always involve a sober analysis of risk and cost. Please recall that in a bad normal flu year our death toll in the US can be as high as 90,000.
Note this will be a total death toll since the beginning of this bad farce, and not a daily toll. As of the beginning of March 28 the death toll is 1704. May the Perpetual Light shine upon them.
With a population is 1,052,567 people, so far Rhode Island has 203 reported cases and zero deaths.
Squeezed between Massachusetts and Connecticut, how could this be? (Not that MA or CT are all that bad, just worse.)
Rhode Islanders don’t stray far, they hardly leave the state. They social distance as a matter of culture:
1. MA and CT look down on Little Rhody, don’t visit much.
2. RI is a beautiful little state, people stay home.
The prescription of social distancing certainly does work; release the economy!
Good News Department: An Italian man, 101 years old has recovered from the Wuhan Flu.
Seen on line. As of yesterday (1,438 US fatalities listed), there were 4.32 American Wuhan Flu deaths per 1,000,000 Americans, about the same as Germany (3.79) and much lower than Italy (146), Spain (99), Iran (28), and France (25).
David, That may partly be due to RI state troopers at the CT border stopping cars with NY plates.
No surprises, Michigan has become a hotspot for Covid19, Wayne County (Detroit) has twice as many cases (1800) as does Oakland (800), and Oakland twice as many as Macomb (400). Roughly 83% of our cases are these three poverty stricken counties.
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Poverty is certainly a risk factor in Covid19 death. I am thankful some news is finally getting out about that. Those of us who can should wash our hands and go back to work.
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https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2020/03/michigan-has-become-a-us-epicenter-for-coronavirus-why.html
T. Shaw, stopping NY passenger cars and requiring quarantine is about keeping RI healthy, more about maintaining the health of a healthy socially distant state.
Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) in RI has more cojones than Gov. Charlie Baker (R) in MA, as usual he’s wishy washy. He’s not stopping and requiring home quarantine for NY cars headed to Cape Cod. Just “suggesting”.
David WS… Thanks for the humor. I shared it with my RI friends and family and they were much amused too. God Bless and stay safe.
Thanks Dave. Even though my wife and I live in MA, were on the border and are more a RI family than MA.
No worries. Quahogs are safe from the virus, and I’m looking forward to an awesome flounder fishing season starting in April from my ocean Hobie kayak.
No crowds, no party boats, it’s gonna be grand.
I’m sorry to have made light of the situation. Just trying to look on the bright side.