# Coronavirus COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) Thread - 2021 Breaking News **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [January 1, 2021, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428 "2021-01-01T08:03:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 114
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2302 "2021-08-26T03:07:00Z")
Hawaii this morning reported eight deaths for the previous 24-hour period, the highest to date in the pandemic. On Maui, visitors and tourists are being asked voluntarily not to leave their homes or hotel grounds for three weeks. I think I know how that will work out. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2303 "2021-08-26T05:56:34Z")
214,766,838 total cases 4,477,144 dead 192,099,987 recovered In the US: 39,157,249 total cases 649,680 dead 30,678,283 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 214,006,837 total cases > 4,465,549 dead > 191,498,682 recovered > > In the US: > > 38,968,925 total cases > 648,161 dead > 30,618,644 recovered ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2304 "2021-08-26T12:15:14Z")
[https://www.expressnews.com/coronavirus/article/30-new-COVID-19-deaths-reported-San-Antonio-16412219.php](https://www.expressnews.com/coronavirus/article/30-new-COVID-19-deaths-reported-San-Antonio-16412219.php) > Thirty more people have died of COVID-19 in Bexar County, the Metropolitan Health District reported Wednesday. > > That number, which brings Bexar County’s COVID death toll to 3,802, marks the most fatalities reported on a single day since 64 deaths were reported on Aug. 11, 2020. > > Since last year, no other day’s report has reached 30 deaths, and only a few have exceeded 20. > > … > > As of Wednesday, San Antonio-area hospitals are treating 1,371 COVID-19-positive patients, including 25 children. Of those hospitalized, 391 are in intensive care units and 238 are relying on ventilators to breathe. > > About 85 percent of these hospitalized patients have not received the COVID-19 vaccine. According to Metro Health’s July epidemiology report, only 1 percent of reported deaths since Jan. 1 have been among fully vaccinated people. > … ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2305 "2021-08-26T13:34:30Z")
We’re back to most of the states on the Johns Hopkins site being in the red. Florida is a notable exception, and I don’t believe it for a minute – they’re clearly just witholding data. Some other states have hit new record highs in seven-day-averaged daily reported cases Kentucky (4518) Georgia (10,234) South Carolina (5309 – technically not the highest, since they hit 5338 on January 6, but I’m going to give it to them because it’s still going up) Oregon (2547) Several other states are high and still shooting up, poised to soon set new records – North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Indiana, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alaska, Washington (state). And I’m keeping my eye on South Dakota, eve though it’s not high yet, on account of Sturgis. Lots of other states have their rates shooting up rapidly, but aren’t yet near their previous record highs. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2306 "2021-08-26T14:22:33Z")
This is a sad and worrying statistic: > **[Pediatric Covid hospitalizations surge to highest on record in U.S. as...](https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/25/pediatric-covid-hospitalizations-surge-to-highest-on-record-in-us-as-doctors-brace-for-more.html)** > > Since most students aren't old enough to get the shots, doctors and epidemiologists say they fear the surge in Covid hospitalizations could get worse. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2307 "2021-08-26T14:42:22Z")
And yet in some states, they’re being sent to school unmasked. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2308 "2021-08-26T14:45:25Z")
I saw this on Reddit (reportedly a Texas high school): ![278 votes and 11 comments so far on Reddit](https://preview.redd.it/re8eraub9gj71.jpg?auto=webp&s=c6c41eafd9b4606b3aa5ac983772bf9a738c2997) ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2309 "2021-08-26T16:35:50Z")
The hospital in Coeur d’Alene, ID is converting a classroom into a Covid unit adding 22 beds. They don’t think that will be enough increase in capacity. Hospitals in this region are running out of beds. Don’t get hurt and require hospital treatment! > **[On the verge of crisis, Kootenai Health converts classroom into COVID-19 unit](https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/aug/25/on-the-verge-of-crisis-kootenai-health-converts-cl/)** > > Until Thursday, a room in the Kootenai Health Resources Center hosted nursing students and valuable training equipment. On Friday, employees spent the day pulling out carpets and putting in beds as they prepared for a surge of COVID-19 patients that... ---
**Author:** ![Tfletch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tfletch1/32/5340_2.png) [@Tfletch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tfletch1)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2310 "2021-08-26T17:05:15Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I saw this on Reddit (reportedly a Texas high school): Jesus Christ, that better not be in Bexar County! ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2311 "2021-08-26T18:14:02Z")
Oregon announced that requiring employees to be vaccinated is a “reasonable policy,” so employees would generally not be eligible for unemployment benefits if they are fired for refusing to get the shot. It’s guidance, not a strict policy, but still a positive step. > **[Oregon says people fired for refusing vaccines generally can’t collect...](https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2021/08/oregon-says-people-fired-for-refusing-vaccines-generally-cant-collect-jobless-benefits.html)** > > “In broad strokes, requiring somebody to be vaccinated during the midst of a worldwide pandemic is a reasonable policy,” David Gerstenfeld, acting director of the Oregon Employment Department, said. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2312 "2021-08-26T18:49:49Z")
Sounds about right. Patients at our practice have reported that about one in five kids at the local high school are under quarantine. (Masks are not required at these schools) ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2313 "2021-08-26T18:58:19Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Just saw on the TV news that Delta Airlines – oh, the irony – will now levy a $200-a-month insurance surcharge Apparently, in their announcement they use the official name of the variant and not the colloquial “Delta” name. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2314 "2021-08-26T23:30:56Z")
This is scary and weird (inasmuch as you would not think a lack of oxygen could happen on this planet…I understand the issue so no need to educate me on this point): > **[Survey: 68 Florida Hospitals Have Less Than 48 Hours Worth Of Oxygen](https://www.wmfe.org/2021-08-25/survey-68-florida-hospitals-have-less-than-48-hours-worth-of-oxygen)** > > The Florida Hospital Association is sounding the alarm, saying a survey shows 68 hospitals have less than a 48-hour supply of oxygen. Hospitals are using… ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2315 "2021-08-27T00:40:45Z")
This sounds somewhat promising: [https://scitechdaily.com/inescapable-covid-19-antibody-discovery-neutralizes-all-known-sars-cov-2-strains/amp/](https://scitechdaily.com/inescapable-covid-19-antibody-discovery-neutralizes-all-known-sars-cov-2-strains/amp/) ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2316 "2021-08-27T00:42:25Z")
There’s been a lot of research into the antibody treatment side of things, which might ultimately, in tandem, be the way to make the virus a lot less scary. ---
**Author:** ![Tfletch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tfletch1/32/5340_2.png) [@Tfletch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tfletch1)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2317 "2021-08-27T00:51:17Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > This sounds somewhat promising: [“Inescapable” COVID-19 Antibody Discovery – Neutralizes All Known SARS-CoV-2 Strains – SciTechDaily](https://scitechdaily.com/inescapable-covid-19-antibody-discovery-neutralizes-all-known-sars-cov-2-strains/amp/) God, finally some good news! ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2318 "2021-08-27T07:01:59Z")
215,503,180 total cases 4,489,019 dead 192,690,946 recovered In the US: 39,342,153 total cases 651,956 dead 30,732,120 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 214,766,838 total cases > 4,477,144 dead > 192,099,987 recovered > > In the US: > > 39,157,249 total cases > 649,680 dead > 30,678,283 recovered ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2319 "2021-08-27T07:04:23Z")
I forgot to add this item yesterday: > **[New NY governor adds 12,000 deaths to publicized COVID tally](https://apnews.com/article/andrew-cuomo-health-coronavirus-pandemic-7312b49695e726eda8d59848e82271c5)** > > New York’s new governor is acknowledging that the state has had nearly 12,000 more deaths from COVID-19 than former Gov. Andrew Cuomo told the public. Gov. > [@](#): > > In its first daily update on the outbreak Tuesday evening, Hochul’s office reported that nearly 55,400 people have died of the coronavirus in New York based on death certificate data submitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. > > That’s up from about 43,400 that Cuomo reported to the public as of Monday, his last day in office. > [@](#): > > The higher number is not entirely new. Federal health officials and some academic institutions tracking COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have been using the higher tally for many months because of known gaps in the data Cuomo had been choosing to publicize. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2320 "2021-08-27T08:20:31Z")
…meanwhile, in New Zealand: > **[New Zealand police break up one-person anti-lockdown protest in Auckland](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/27/new-zealand-police-break-up-one-person-anti-lockdown-protest-in-auckland)** > > An Instagram account had called on people to get involved in the Queen Street demonstration > [@](#): > > An Instagram account had called on people to get involved in the Queen Street demonstration > A one-person anti-lockdown protest in central Auckland has been shut down, after the police were alerted to discussions of a potential gathering on social media. > > New Zealand police said officers were on Queen Street on Friday after hearing a protest was being planned, but only one person arrived with the intention of protesting, [Newshub reported](https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2021/08/covid-19-one-person-shows-up-at-anti-lockdown-protest-in-auckland.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter). > > “Police have been in the area and have spoken to one person who arrived intending to attend the protest. Police spoke to the individual who was encouraged to comply with alert level four restrictions and chose to leave,” a spokesman said. > > **They said they are continuing to monitor the situation.** LOL. It looks like we have hopefully ringfenced the outbreak. Absence any big events over the weekend most of New Zealand will drop to Alert Level 3 next week, with Auckland and Northland remaining at Level 4 probably for another couple of weeks. (Lockdown Level 3 is “with KFC”, Lockdown Level 4 is “without KFC”) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2321 "2021-08-27T14:00:21Z")
New seven-day-averaged reported new cases record highs of COVID **Kentucky (5851)** **Georgia (12,940)** **North Carolina (9074)** **South Carolina (6444)** **Alaska (766)** **Washington (4567)** **Oregon (3058)** **Mississippi (4338)** **Louisiana (6613)** **Florida** , almost certainly, but they haven’t reported yet. . … . . . . . . . **Tennessee** is almost setting a new record. It’s almost there and rising rapidly **Indiana** , too **West Virginia,** too **Oklahoma** , too Most other states are rising rapidly (all are in various stages of red on the Johns Hopkins site, except Hawaii and, misleadingly, Florida) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428.md?page=113) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428.md?page=115)