Tag: COVID-19

Day 40 What is a Pandemic?

It seems like the world was caught off guard by the first modern day pandemic to spread to every corner of the world. COVID-19 was identified as a Pandemic on March 11th (https://72inapart.com/its-a-pandemic/) by the World Health Organization (WHO).

This made me think what is a Pandemic? and What was COVID-19 prior to being classified as a Pandemic?

So, what is a Pandemic? A pandemic is used to describe a disease that has spread across many countries and affects a large number of people. The data scientist in me needs to quantify what “many countries” and “a large number of people” means. How many countries need to have a disease before it becomes a global emergency? 5, 10, 25, 50 … Is a large number of people 100, 1,000, 10,000 ? I couldn’t find the answers, the CDC nor the WHO specify how many countries or how many people need to be affected in order for something to be declared a pandemic.

March 11th 2020

When the WHO declared COVID-19 a Pandemic on March 11th, there were 126,000+ COVID-19 infections globally and 114 affected countries. So maybe the answers to what qualifies as a Pandemic are when a disease spreads to greater than 100 countries and greater than 120k people (infected).

According to the CDC, here are the stages diseases travel on their way to being labeled a Pandemic.

  • Sporadic, Where a disease is happening infrequently and irregularly.
  • Endemic, Due to the geographic location the disease is constantly present.
  • Epidemic, Sudden increase in number of cases and is more than what’s expected for an area.
  • And Pandemic, A disease that has gone Global = COVID-19.

I am not sure which classifications were applied to COVID-19 prior to becoming a Pandemic or whether were applied.

2.6 Million Infected – +800k in the U.S.

Day 39 What Else Now

So, you were thinking what else is going to happen…
The US is monitoring intelligence that North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, is in grave danger after a surgery. Most interesting, I discovered that Kim is only 37 years-old, which made me feel pretty good about my fitness level.

Day 38 My Running Daily Count

The question is how am I only on Day 38. The reason, I started My Day count when my kids and spouse were officially ordered to Stay at Home! But I’ve been at home for more like 50 Days, but its sort of too late to change the count for me!

New York reported another decrease in deaths to 478, bringing the total number of deaths to 14,347. New Jersey’s deaths increased to 4,202. Connecticut reported nearly 1,130 deaths.

Day 36 Where is Your Stimulus Check?

The next big question, where is your stimulus check? Here are all of the links you’ll need to answer that question.

First, determine if you qualify. Go to Economic Impact Payment Information Center, there you will find links for eligibility.
Second, if you qualify or know that you do, check Get My Payment page. You will need to have your tax information to complete the process.
I highly recommend entering you bank information for direct deposit.

Global coronavirus death toll passes 156,000

#staysafe

Day 35 Is it Time to Go Back to the Office?

Yes, I have been living in a bubble. The last week has been filled by calls to remove stay at home orders around the country. It seems that no one knows when it will be safe to leave our homes to resume “normal” life. But that has not deterred the President or some Governors from arbitrarily selecting dates out of a bingo machine.

So, if you’re more adventurous than I am, here is what the CDC is saying this hour.

New York reported that the city’s coronavirus death toll climbed to 722 new COVID-19 fatalities over 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths to 12,199 by Friday afternoon.

Day 34 Things are Getting Better, Right?

I am 34 Days into my quarantine, and I am doing well, at least mentally. Watching the news is a necessity, but its bringing me down.

In NJ, 17 bodies were found in a tiny morgue at nursing home. Sixty-eight people linked to a nursing home in Andover Township have died in recent weeks, including two staff members. Then watching people in Michigan and Ohio protest stay at home measures, endanger their lives and the lives of others.

Day 33 What Day is it?

I asked my wife what day it was this morning, and she responded “TODAY” and in 24 hours it will be “TOMORROW”. At least, this blog let’s me know that we have been in quarantine for 33 Days.

The highlight of my day was receiving a Walmart delivery of Almond milk.
Two days ago, it was reported that a Smithfield pork plant in South Dakota was being closed because 200 employees were diagnosed with COVID-19. Today, Tyson Foods closed a pork plant in Iowa, where 186 employees have tested positive for the COVID-19.

Over 2 Million Infected Worldwide

Day 32 Paradigm Shift

I keep hearing that the Covid-19 pandemic will change the rest of our lives and to a certain extent I believe that it is true. Small business owners like me, have suffered irreparable financial damage and surviving looks unlikely. Future entrepreneurs may be unwillingly to launch new businesses because of the unpredictable impact of pandemics. Only large corporations will be financially supported. Right now, I am watching a farmer on TV destroy his crop because he can’t harvest it. Many businesses will disappear, along with the entrepreneurial spirit that inspired generations of Americans.

Day 30 Happy Easter

The United States now has the highest number Coronavirus related deaths in the world, at 20,000 and that number is only growing. While New York remains optimistic about the numbers of reported cases of Corona infections has flattened, they still lost 783 lives over the last 24 hours, This marked the fifth straight day of more than 700 deaths per day.

I can’t believe that I have been sheltered in place for 30 days. During the last 30 days I’ve used the time to engage with my family. My favorite was the Day 12 Family Picture Project. I am also reaching out to all of my friends, even the ones I haven’t spoken with in years. Its a wonderful time to chat with an old friend.

#staysafe