It's time to start a new thread on our tracking of the coronavirus. You can see the prior post from March 24th and the path of the virus' growth in the County here. Today's County report at SMChealth.org shows 16 new cases in the County for a total of 767. 67 cases are currently in hospital and 7,295 total tests have been done with a 10% positive ratio. Recall there are about 769,000 people in the County so the testing rate is still minuscule.
There was a great human interest story in the Daily Journal yesterday about Officer Steve Vega. I've chatted with the officer on the street before (the last time was in front of the Apple store during the on-going patrol there) and I'm thrilled to hear he is better. He may be down at Stanford right now donating
After recovering from COVID-19, Burlingame police Officer Steve Vega is hoping the antibodies in his blood can be used to treat others infected with the disease. Vega, 55, is among the first participants in a new effort by Stanford Blood Center to treat COVID-19 patients while the world waits for a vaccine to be developed.
The 22-year Burlingame officer is set to donate his plasma, the liquid in blood, at Stanford this Thursday and however many times is needed after that.
Also in the news is some data on how the work-at-home trend for self-isolating plays out across the economy. Having worked full-time from home for more than a decade one article about the trials the newbies are discovering was gratifying to read. On the data side, the Wall Street Journal has a piece titled "The Lucky Stay-at-home 37%"
A newly released study called “How Many Jobs Can Be Done at Home?” reckons that 37% of all U.S. jobs can plausibly be done at home, meaning that nearly two-thirds cannot. The study’s authors, from the University of Chicago’s Becker-Friedman Institute, add that their 37% estimate is at the “upper bound of what might be feasible.” Along with other studies, this one also finds that those in jobs that can be done from home “typically earn more.” By their calculations, for example, 37% of jobs that can be done at home account for 46% of all wages.
Those who have stressed the need to get our economy up and running again are sometimes criticized for favoring profits over people. But the Becker-Friedman paper underscores that those lower down on the socio-economic scale are most in need of a re-opening for their livelihoods.
That's an important point that can be missed during the high-anxiety zeitgeist we are in. Here is the Avenew showing that zeitgeist.
Joe, yes it's pretty good that nearly 40% of people can still do their jobs from home. Could you imagine if such a pandemic had hit our economy 20 or 30 years ago? Would have grinded to a halt. We can thank the gig economy for high speed internet connections, Zoom, Google Hangouts, etc which area ll being used to not only enable people to work but to educate our children. Had this technology not been in place, most likely kids would have universally have been held back one grade level! Imagine the economic impact of that.
While yes, our service based economy will take a big hit, especially for anyone doing in-person customer facing work, but Bruce Dickinson is a "glass half full" kinda guy. Not only will the tech economy soften the blow, but will ensure a much more rapid recovery, not to mention the usage of cellphones for contact/travel tracing can yield real results to prevent the spread of COVID as well as lay the groundwork for the next pandemic response. When that happens, the result is going to be much better, that I can assure you!
Posted by: Bruce Dickinson | April 16, 2020 at 06:54 PM
That is another reason for a Living Wage...
A Californian Living Wage.
Posted by: [email protected] | April 17, 2020 at 08:41 AM
Burlingame Avenue this noon was busy with folks, lining up for take out, chatting and smiling through their masks, getting groceries and doing essential errands. Cars lined about 80% of the curbs.
Good vibes beginning to be felt, even in the chilly wind.
Posted by: Peter Garrison | April 17, 2020 at 02:02 PM
22 new cases yesterday, but the total went up by 30 to 797.
Posted by: Joe | April 17, 2020 at 02:14 PM
26 new cases yesterday, but the total went up by 41 to 838 because the Thursday count went up to 31.
I watched a neighbor struggle with an old-fashioned push spindle lawn mower yesterday. I used one as a kid for the parts of our lawn that were hard to get to or had rocks and such. But they don't work for 6"+ high grass; as my neighbor found out. There was a funny protest sign from Michigan described in the paper today: "Let My People Mow".
Posted by: Joe | April 18, 2020 at 01:28 PM
Why isn't the city mowing the lawns in our parks? That does't seem at all dangerous to anyone unless some kid trips over the tall grass. I'm feeling like someone is taking advantage of this disaster.
Posted by: Mom | April 18, 2020 at 07:59 PM
Think of the potholes and storm drains that could be fixed now that the roads are less crowded...
City staff all being retained and paid?
Posted by: Cassandra | April 18, 2020 at 09:52 PM
San Mateo county has had 28 virus deaths divided by our county’s population of 769,000 people =.00003%.
Posted by: Sally meakin | April 19, 2020 at 08:06 AM
...according to https://covid-19.direct/US
Posted by: Sallymeakin | April 19, 2020 at 08:11 AM
Dear Mom, if your Child trips over tall green Park Grass, you have bigger problems than you believe.
Dear Cassandra, repairing pot holes and storm drains requires many people-more than one, working close together for long periods of time, Face to Face contact and communication with the Public too.
Posted by: [email protected] | April 19, 2020 at 09:44 AM
About half the people at the farmer's market have masks on today. It might be time for no shirt, no shoes, no mask, no service. The police car is there as usual but no manpower in site. It's nice of Pottery Barn to board up there windows as if it was the tenderloin.
Posted by: Just Looking | April 19, 2020 at 11:03 AM
There is no update to the numbers today (Sunday), but here is a piece from the Comicle to Cassandra's point:
At a time when coronavirus concerns have led to the shutdown of all but essential construction in the Bay Area, Caltrans will start work on its $35 million rebuild of the Alemany Boulevard overpass at Highway 101 this week — three months ahead of schedule.
The 18-day project to replace 800 feet of bridge deck roadway on 101 near Interstate 280 in San Francisco, which will require 80 to 100 on-site workers, is to begin Saturday.
“We were going to do it in July, but it made sense to do it now, when everyone is staying home and traffic is so light,” Caltrans project spokesman Bart Ney said.
He said workers will be briefed daily at morning tailgate meetings on safe distancing and other precautions that need to be taken. They will be required to wear face masks and gloves, because the work requires them to come closer than 6 feet to one another.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/philmatier/article/Traffic-s-down-That-s-the-sign-for-Caltrans-15209650.php
Maybe when they are done with the overpass they can do ECR??
Posted by: Joe | April 19, 2020 at 12:53 PM
Cassandra was the prophetess who was cursed to not be believed.
So- next up.
Thing 1. Imagine the virtue-signaling when the thousands of homeless being housed in hotels due to the virus are asked to leave.
Homeless advocates, ACLU, marches, small arson fires.
Thing 2. What an opportunity to offer the homeless an empty office-park or hotel and require them to attend in-house substance abuse treatment, job training, or, for the non-compliant, go to jail and hard labor.
Maybe even filling potholes and cleaning storm drains?
Posted by: Cassandra | April 19, 2020 at 02:06 PM
It would be nice to hear "anything" regarding Burlingame's position on maintenance needs of the community.
Water and Sewage Dept. must be doing work.
Posted by: [email protected] | April 20, 2020 at 07:14 AM
Two day update: +35 on Saturday, +36 on Sunday for a total of 920 cases in the County. That means 12 more were added from before Friday as well. 61 people are currently hospitalized.
Posted by: Joe | April 20, 2020 at 11:39 AM
12 new cases from yesterday and another 3 added for last Sunday makes a new total of 935. Hospitalizations dropped by 2 to 59. More troubling are the reports about the financial difficulties and layoffs at hospitals that are idling for coronavirus and thus going broke. Something better change in that regard soon.
Posted by: Joe | April 21, 2020 at 11:48 AM
Start opening up with social distancing and compare the hospital load to a typical bad flu season.
Respond accordingly.
Posted by: Peter Garrison | April 21, 2020 at 12:23 PM
It sounds like the cops are about to jump into the action
The San Mateo County Health Officer order requiring the public and workers at essential businesses to wear face coverings is enforceable beginning at 8 a.m. tomorrow (April 22). The order and frequently asked questions are at https://www.smcgov.org/covid19-face-covering
Posted by: resident | April 21, 2020 at 03:27 PM
12 new cases yesterday and 11 new assigned to prior days gets us to a total of 958.
I thought this bit from the SacBee was pertinent:
As a result, the California Academy of Family Physicians is urging state lawmakers “to consider the impact the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, is having on primary care physicians across the state,” according to a statement from the group.
According to a survey conducted by the group last month, 42 percent of California family physicians are experiencing extreme financial impact as a result of COVID-19.
There’s been a 5 percent decrease in outpatient visits, a 5.5 percent decrease in inpatient visits, a 10.9 percent decrease in emergency room visits and a 7.2 percent decrease in surgeries, according to the group.
“The threat to primary care physician practices is immediate and severe, and the impact of practice closures will be long-lasting and incredibly detrimental to the health and well-being of the communities they serve.
Posted by: Joe | April 22, 2020 at 10:46 AM
But the SF Flower Market will be open in time for Mother’s Day.
Not restaurants or bookstores open, but a massive, mall-like arena for hand-to-hand floral combat.
Time for the restaurant unions to get moving...
Posted by: Peter Garrison | April 22, 2020 at 01:12 PM
10 new cases yesterday, but the total only went up by 8 to 966?
Posted by: Joe | April 23, 2020 at 02:39 PM
16 new cases yesterday, but the total went up 23 to 989. We will probably crest 1,000 tomorrow.
Another restaurant re-opened for take-out yesterday-- Parc & Howard Bistro.
Posted by: Joe | April 24, 2020 at 09:40 AM
Full Cassandra Prophecy: How we got where we are, where we are, and where we’re going...
Number one- The current situation is a mess between the science nerds over-thinking that we can control something we can’t control and the public being scared to death by the media of what we’re trying to control. The idea that we could control the virus was set by totalitarian China which clamped down in ways that the United States cannot. Trump was brave in shutting the front door from the Pacific side of United States but missed the back door when the virus came to Italy with devastating effects to its older population and went on to New York with devastating effects because if its crowded population.
Number Two- In our Bay Area, San Mateo County is restricted by an unelected health officer from traveling more than 5 miles from home. What that means is that, for instance, a lone bicycle rider was ticketed while bicycling down the coast on Highway One because he was more than 5 miles from home. Identification is being checked and license plates are being “run” by the police and park rangers at various beaches and trails. Golf courses are closed as are all restaurants etc., but the SF Flower Mart will be open for Mother’s Day and this facility is a giant public mall in downtown San Francisco.
Number Three- Two important factors have not been enabled up to this point: American common sense and free market forces. This will result in two movements in the coming month.
1. Quiet social disobedience and a return to public gatherings using common sense social distancing and hygiene.
2. Various small business will open and the ones that are careful with their customers will thrive.
At first, these two movements will be met with some official resistance and quite a lot of public shaming and virtue-signaling, but once these actions become newsworthy, the fear factor so often reported will be replaced by reporting the excitement around people claiming back their options during a bad flu season.
As far as personal involvement in this crisis, I, as an elderly adult, appreciate all the trouble people have gone to protect me from the virus. I’m also in a position to stay home, but the young people, who are not as likely to suffer from this virus, are the ones most at risk for financial hardship and will be responsible for paying back these huge loans in the future. The young people will be the ones to lead the way out of these regulatory over reactions.
Posted by: Cassandra | April 25, 2020 at 12:43 PM
16 new cases yesterday, but the total rose by 30 so 14 new cases from prior days. We crested 1,000 (1,019 to be exact) as expected.
The Chronicle was predicting another couple week extension to the May 3rd supposed partial loosening.
The Chronicle also noted that the number of deaths occurring in nursing homes has not been released except by Santa Clara County where they account for 30% of all deaths. The article says advocates of more data transparency are accusing officials of hiding the threat at nursing homes. Of course, the inverse is also true--if they released the data to show 30% or even 40-50% are there, then everyone else would say "well, the threat out in the real world is only 2/3 or half of what we thought".
Probably no new numbers tomorrow (Sunday).
Posted by: Joe | April 25, 2020 at 01:35 PM
Thank you Cassandra for a very thoughtful Comment.
Posted by: [email protected] | April 26, 2020 at 08:31 AM