Local COVID-19 updates
Aug. 10th, 2020 04:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
edschweppeTweaking the report format today to include the day-to-day differences in the first paragraph ...
As of 4PM today, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is reporting 5 newly reported confirmed deaths (9 less than yesterday) for a total of 8,519, 214 newly reported confirmed cases (72 less than yesterday) for a total of 112,673, and 11,276 new patients tested by molecular tests (5876 less than yesterday) for a total of 1,322,634, with a total of 1,739,378 molecular tests administered to date. The ratio of newly confirmed cases to individuals tested by molecular test is 1.9%, compared to 1.7% yesterday. The state also reported 1 newly reported probable death (1 more than yesterday) for a total of 222, 61 newly reported probable cases (18 more than yesterday) for a total of 8,642, and 229 patients tested by antibody tests (117 less than yesterday) for a total of 101,714. Combining the confirmed and probable numbers gives 6 new deaths for a total of 8,741 and 275 new cases for a total of 121,315.
The seven day average number of newly confirmed cases per day is 296.9 compared to 290.4 last week and 215.1 two weeks ago. The seven day average number of newly confirmed deaths per day is 13.1 compared to 15.7 last week and 14.7 two weeks ago. The seven day average number of molecular tests per day is 14,834.9 compared to 13,571.0 last week and 11,320.7 two weeks ago. The seven day average percentage of tests coming back positive per day is 2.0% compared to 2.1% last week and 1.9% two weeks ago. (The above averages are calculated from today's raw data download.)
It's Monday, and that always makes me leery of reading too much into seeming good news in the day-to-day numbers; but fewer deaths is pretty much always good news. The uptick in percent-positive ratio, on the other hand, is pretty much never good news.
Paper and cloth face masks appear to work pretty well at keeping people from spewing droplets that can spread the coronavirus, according to a new study out from Duke University. Bandanas and neck gaiters ... not so much:
The bit about bandanas is annoying, but I do have a couple of cloth masks now to use in their stead.
As of 10:45AM today, the town of Acton is reporting 187 cumulative cases of COVID-19 in town with 4 individuals in isolation, 162 recovered and 21 fatalities; that's four new cases and four persons recovered since the last update on July 28.
As of 4PM today, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is reporting 5 newly reported confirmed deaths (9 less than yesterday) for a total of 8,519, 214 newly reported confirmed cases (72 less than yesterday) for a total of 112,673, and 11,276 new patients tested by molecular tests (5876 less than yesterday) for a total of 1,322,634, with a total of 1,739,378 molecular tests administered to date. The ratio of newly confirmed cases to individuals tested by molecular test is 1.9%, compared to 1.7% yesterday. The state also reported 1 newly reported probable death (1 more than yesterday) for a total of 222, 61 newly reported probable cases (18 more than yesterday) for a total of 8,642, and 229 patients tested by antibody tests (117 less than yesterday) for a total of 101,714. Combining the confirmed and probable numbers gives 6 new deaths for a total of 8,741 and 275 new cases for a total of 121,315.
The seven day average number of newly confirmed cases per day is 296.9 compared to 290.4 last week and 215.1 two weeks ago. The seven day average number of newly confirmed deaths per day is 13.1 compared to 15.7 last week and 14.7 two weeks ago. The seven day average number of molecular tests per day is 14,834.9 compared to 13,571.0 last week and 11,320.7 two weeks ago. The seven day average percentage of tests coming back positive per day is 2.0% compared to 2.1% last week and 1.9% two weeks ago. (The above averages are calculated from today's raw data download.)
It's Monday, and that always makes me leery of reading too much into seeming good news in the day-to-day numbers; but fewer deaths is pretty much always good news. The uptick in percent-positive ratio, on the other hand, is pretty much never good news.
Paper and cloth face masks appear to work pretty well at keeping people from spewing droplets that can spread the coronavirus, according to a new study out from Duke University. Bandanas and neck gaiters ... not so much:
Duke University researchers have developed a simple, inexpensive method to test how well masks stop people from spewing droplets that could spread the coronavirus — and their initial tests have raised questions about the virus-blocking efficacy of neck fleeces and bandanas.
"Some mask alternatives, such as neck fleece or bandanas, offer very little protection," researchers said in the study, which was published Friday in Science Advances.
One problem in both cases was simply the thinness of the fabric, said Professor Warren Warren, a professor of physics, chemistry, and radiology who was one of the co-authors of the study.
He said a general rule of thumb is: ‘If you have a mask and you can see through it in the light and you can blow through it, it's probably not a very good mask." A knitted mask also performed poorly in the study.
[ ... ]
The study also offered some good news, finding that a paper surgical mask that was tested worked almost as well as a N95 mask in blocking the outflow of droplets, and a number of homemade cloth masks also did a good job.
"What we're really seeing is that most of the homemade solutions, if you fit them right so there aren't big gaps, they do a pretty decent job, working just about as well as the disposable medical masks," Warren said.
The researchers studied mask efficacy by asking subjects wearing masks to speak the words "Stay healthy, people," in the direction of an expanded laser beam inside a dark enclosure. Droplets in the laser beam then scattered light, which was recorded with a cellphone camera. A computer algorithm was used to count the droplets, researchers said in the study.
The bit about bandanas is annoying, but I do have a couple of cloth masks now to use in their stead.
As of 10:45AM today, the town of Acton is reporting 187 cumulative cases of COVID-19 in town with 4 individuals in isolation, 162 recovered and 21 fatalities; that's four new cases and four persons recovered since the last update on July 28.