California sets Covid-19 daily record, Bay Area cumulative total passes 20k

Re:California sets Covid-19 daily record, Bay Area cumulativ... by godshatter on Tuesday June 23, 2020 @06:15PM (#23621046)

I've been watching the number of deaths (although it's a morbid way of looking at it), too. If the number of cases goes up but after a suitable lag time and the number of deaths doesn't, then we are likely just uncovering more people who had it through more thorough testing. If the number of deaths rises, then it's not just that we're testing more - it's spreading more.

The logic behind this is that people are going to the hospital whether or not they have been tested, they are not going to stay away because they haven't been. I don't have easy access to numbers of hospitalized patients, so I watch the number of deaths. Right now they have been flattening out or decreasing, as you pointed out. When that changes I'll get worried more. In either case, I am playing it safe by social distancing and wearing my mask and reducing the amount of time I'm in the office.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:California sets Covid-19 daily record, Bay Area cumulativ... by jlbnjmn on Tuesday June 23, 2020 @09:03PM (#23622668)

The death rate is most likely lower due to a higher percentage of the infected being lower risk.

White people under 50, to be specific. As many as 50% of new hospitalizations in Texas are under 50.

The problem will be if they infect higher risk groups, potentially in catastrophic numbers, and the deaths surge along with cases.

Also, deaths remaining somewhat flat is concerning considering the low risk population getting infected.

[ Parent | on HN ]