Local COVID-19 updates

As of 4PM today, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is reporting 22 newly reported confirmed deaths (6 more than yesterday - up 37.5%) for a total of 9,788 deaths, 1,139 newly reported confirmed cases (153 less than yesterday - down 11.8%) for a total of 155,660 cases, and 16,724 new patients tested by molecular tests (1,398 less than yesterday - down 7.7%) for a total of 2,758,047 individuals tested. There were 62,463 new molecular tests reported (30,771 less than yesterday - down 33.0%) with a total of 6,165,624 molecular tests administered to date. The ratio of newly confirmed cases to individuals tested by molecular test is 6.8%, compared to 7.1% yesterday. The state also reported zero newly reported probable deaths (same as yesterday) for a total of 225 deaths, and zero newly reported probable cases (138 less than yesterday) for a total of 4,047 cases. The state also reported 153 patients tested by antibody tests (50 less than yesterday - down 24.6%) for a total of 127,372 patients, and 698 patients tested by antigen tests (1,811 less than yesterday - down 72.2%) for a total of 188,181 patients. Combining the confirmed and probable numbers gives 22 new deaths for a total of 10,013 and 1,139 new cases for a total of 159,707.

The seven day average number of newly confirmed cases per day is 1,220.0 compared to 924.7 last week (up 31.9%) and 639.9 two weeks ago (up 90.7%). The seven day average number of newly confirmed deaths per day is 21.1 compared to 17.6 last week (up 20.3%) and 18.4 two weeks ago (up 14.7%). The seven day average number of newly tested individuals per day is 17,983.6 compared to 16,789.9 last week (up 7.1%) and 14,754.9 two weeks ago (up 21.9%). The seven day average percentage of individuals coming back confirmed positive per day is 6.8% compared to 5.5% last week and 4.3% two weeks ago. (The above averages are calculated from today's raw data download.)

Of the Commonwealth's four "key metrics" listed on page 2 of the report, the seven-day weighted average positive test rate is 1.8%, 133% above the lowest observed value of 0.8% on September 21. The three-day average number of COVID-19 patients in hospital is 602, 99% above the lowest observed value of 302 on August 29. The number of hospitals using surge capacity is 1, 1 above the lowest observed value of 0 on October 18. The three-day average number of COVID-19 deaths is 19, 100% above the lowest observed value of 9 on September 7.

Ai-yai-yai!

On a straight day-to-day comparison, today's numbers are a mixed bag - cases are down, which is great; but tests are also down, and deaths are up. But the absolute numbers are horrible - we haven't been below a thousand cases a day since October 23, and we're over ten thousand deaths (confirmed and probable) for the first time ever. The seven-day averages for deaths and cases are still on upward trajectories, with no end in sight. And the state's "key metrics"? While the seven-day average positive test rate and three-day average death count show a bit of a downward trend, they're still both twice (or more) of the lowest observed values from just a couple of months ago. And the three-day average count of hospitalized patients is nearly twice the LOV and is continuing to trend upward. The last time than average was above six hundred was back in July - specifically July 10, when the state was reporting a three-day average of 613 COVID-19 patients in hospital, the state reopening plan was just hitting Phase 3, and I was mourning the cancellation of the All Star 2 conference on Star Island.

Not a peep from Governor Baker.

The town of Acton has yet to post an update today. As of the most recent report at 2:45PM on October 28, the town of Acton reported 233 cumulative cases of COVID-19 in town with 11 individuals in isolation, 201 recovered and 21 fatalities.

Because platypuses weren't weird enough

The platypus was a non-trivial part of Shadow Unit fandom for many years, mainly because "Platypus" was one of the nicknames given to Chaz Villette.

I was reminded of this today, when Firefox's default "Recommended by Pocket" starting page included a link to an article As if the Platypus Couldn't Get Any Weirder. Apparently, according to this paper in the journal Mammalia, platypuses biofluoresce under ultraviolet light - the only monotremes known to do so. Or, as the Gizmodo article puts it:

The platypus is nature’s crazy quilt, as this strange creature looks like about a half-dozen different animals all rolled into one. Turns out that platypuses were hiding yet another conspicuous feature: THEY CAN FREAKIN' GLOW IN THE DARK.

It's not enough to be a mammal who lays eggs, sports a duck-like bill and webbed feet, hunts using electroreception, and wields venomous spurs. The platypus also glows green under ultraviolet light. Because of course it does.

(DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/mammalia-2020-0027)

I do miss Shadow Unit. On the other hand, I'm pretty glad the series (about a subunit of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit that handles the really weird shit) ended before the Drumpf Administration took office.