# 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:** 13
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2021, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/241 "2021-01-20T17:35:49Z")
Or my comment the other way. If you wear glasses and they they fog up while wearing an N95, you’re probably doing it wrong and too much breath is flowing past the top edge of the mask, not through the filtering material. ---
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2021, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/242 "2021-01-20T17:40:47Z")
That’s probably what’s happening with 95% of the people who don’t wear glasses. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2021, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/243 "2021-01-20T17:44:16Z")
> [@FigNorton](#): > > But it looks like that’s the end of the Christmas bump and there wasn’t one for New Year’s. More likely there wasn’t a Christmas bump, either. If you look at the _hospitalizations_ data from the [NYT](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html) (rather than daily reported cases or deaths, both of which tend to be very bumpy around holidays as reporting lags and then catches up), it’s a perfectly smooth curve – hospitalizations increase very sharply through all of November and at a slightly slower rate starting around the first week in December, then top out and start to decline at the beginning of the second week in January. Despite the constant media hype around holidays, I would defy anyone looking at this graph to identify where either Thanksgiving or Christmas falls without looking at the dates at the bottom. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2021, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/244 "2021-01-20T18:50:33Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Despite the constant media hype around holidays, I would defy anyone looking at this graph to identify where either Thanksgiving or Christmas falls without looking at the dates at the bottom. It probably belongs elsewhere, but since it keeps coming up here, I’m of the opinion that a highly visible Christmas bump won’t be seen until February or later, if we have one. We didn’t see the full brunt of what many of us consider the Sturgis surge until several months later. That’s what happens when you have an R0 slightly above 1. Of course, I’m also of the opinion that much of the surge we started seeing in October/November was due to the return to school and Sturgis, so what do I know? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/245 "2021-01-21T03:20:17Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Mine have a nylon woven elastic strap that’s heat-welded to the spun fiber plastic mask material. I had one weld fail on about the third wearing. Two staples tacked it back together and it lasted another 3 months = 12 wearings before it got too dirty/stinky. > > One thing’s for sure. If you have bad oral hygiene habits, you’ll quickly mend your ways. The funk of week old bad breath adhering to the inside of the mask right by your nose is … memorable.  I have more masks now, but in early days, when the supply was limited, I would spray my N95’s with some isopropyl rubbing alcohol every now and again to keep them relatively fresh. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/246 "2021-01-21T03:22:23Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Or my comment the other way. If you wear glasses and they they fog up while wearing an N95, you’re probably doing it wrong and too much breath is flowing past the top edge of the mask, not through the filtering material. > [@FigNorton](#): > > That’s probably what’s happening with 95% of the people who don’t wear glasses. And 100% of men with beards that extend beyond the border of a mask. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/247 "2021-01-21T03:31:53Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > I have more masks now, but in early days, when the supply was limited, I would spray my N95’s with some isopropyl rubbing alcohol every now and again to keep them relatively fresh. I read that using alcohol is not recommended for N95 masks, as the alcohol can change the electrostatic properties of the fibers and the filtration ability would be reduced. Instead, they recommended leaving the mask alone for a few days, or using an oven at a low temperature if it needs to be immediately sanitized. Because the N95 masks work from special properties of the fibers, make sure that any cleaning procedures don’t reduce those special properties. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/248 "2021-01-21T04:00:27Z")
I have also read that the safest way to “clean” them is to let them sit for long enough for the virus to degrade on its own. Masks don’t magically stop working after you use them. They gradually decay in several ways. The elastic wears out. The edge may not grip your face as tightly. The filter may get clogged with dust (which makes it hard to breath through more than it stop it from filtering) or may get damaged in other ways. Maybe bacteria grow on the mask, although keeping the mask dry mitigates that problem. If you only need to wear a mask for an hour at the grocery store, and you only go to the grocery store every week or two, a few masks ought to work for months, if you are careful not to abuse them. I have friends who cover their N95 with a surgical mask to provide both mechanical protection of the mask and also to “pre filter” it, to keep it from getting clogged too fast. (I bought some reusable N90 masks. They have the virtue of a silicone seal that’s really easy to keep tight around my face. I figure they are better than an ill-fitting N95. The “mask” is reusable, and it has replaceable filters. The lifespan of the filters is described in terms of hours of use, not as how many times you use it. I cycle the masks, and so far I’ve only replaced one filter.) Unless you need to wear a mask most of the day most days of the week, you probably won’t be using up an N95 mask every day. ---
**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:** [January 21, 2021, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/249 "2021-01-21T06:02:03Z")
97,310,103 total cases 2,083,337 dead 69,851,783 recovered In the US: 24,998,975 total cases 415,894 dead 14,968,716 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 96,625,755 total cases > 2,065,698 dead > 69,274,079 recovered > > In the US: > > 24,806,964 total cases > 411,486 dead > 14,786,852 recovered ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/250 "2021-01-21T12:43:16Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I bought some reusable N90 masks. They have the virtue of a silicone seal that’s really easy to keep tight around my face. Link please. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/251 "2021-01-21T13:52:10Z")
I posted a link in this thread about masks: > [@Clear masks or masks with a clear window](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-masks-or-masks-with-a-clear-window/916492/68): > > Yes, I wonder about that. I picked up some of these: and they include an enormous expanse of filter. And even so, their descriptive material says they chose to go with an n90 filter instead of n95 so it’s easier to breath. Admittedly, this was originally designed for exercising in polluted air, and the company pivoted to “virus protection” when it became obvious that would be a large market. A mask for grocery shopping or waiting to see the doctor doesn’t need to be as breathable as a mask f… I technically funded their Kickstarter, but i think you can buy them now. ---
**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:** [January 21, 2021, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/252 "2021-01-21T14:28:55Z")
No states reporting record high daily cases reported (seven day average) for yesterday, January 20, which is definitely good news. The bad news is that both Virginia and New Hampshire appear poised to break through to new record highs in a day or so. In even better news, all the other states appear to be trending downwards. ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/253 "2021-01-21T14:41:16Z")
It looks like all the states started trending downward at the same time. This has to just be everybody finally being done working through the holiday backlog, right? Or is there less testing happening? It doesn’t make sense otherwise. ---
**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:** [January 21, 2021, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/254 "2021-01-21T15:24:47Z")
> [@tofor](#): > > It looks like all the states started trending downward at the same time. Not really. If you look at the plots independently you can see that the peak number of cases occurs at very different times in different states. They are mostly trending down now, but that only indicates that they are all in synch, not that they were doing the same thing at the same time. As I noted, Virginia and New Hampshire are going up now, and appear to be in the midst of their most recent peak, while many states in the Midwest peaked in mid-November. Others in the Midwest peaked in early December. ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/255 "2021-01-21T16:26:44Z")
Looking at the per-state 7-day average new cases on [91-divoc.com](http://91-divoc.com) it sure looks like most states had a localized peak within a day or two of January 13. I see now by looking at the ‘normalized by population’ graph that for many states that was a temporary bump from a previous general downward trend, so maybe that’s all I’m seeing. ---
**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:** [January 22, 2021, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/256 "2021-01-22T05:17:37Z")
98,092,757 total cases 2,100,452 dead 70,486,514 recovered In the US: 25,196,086 total cases 420,285 dead 15,100,991 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 97,310,103 total cases > 2,083,337 dead > 69,851,783 recovered > > In the US: > > 24,998,975 total cases > 415,894 dead > 14,968,716 recovered The world has a new record with 17,360 covid deaths recorded today. ---
**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:** [January 22, 2021, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/257 "2021-01-22T16:07:46Z")
Wow! Another day without new record daily highs (seven day average as computed on the Johns Hopkins site) in any state or territory. That is progress. Just a reminder, though – there are still hefty new daily reported cases. But it’s gone down so much that, here in Massachusetts, they’re starting to lift some restrictions. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/258 "2021-01-22T20:31:22Z")
Boris Johnson says U.K. coronavirus variant may be more deadly By William Booth > **[Boris Johnson says British coronavirus variant may be more deadly](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/uk-variant-covid-mortality/2021/01/22/86023180-5cd6-11eb-a849-6f9423a75ffd_story.html)** > > The variant, already spreading around the world, was previously reported to be only more contagious. Potentially bad news re the UK-identified variant. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/259 "2021-01-22T20:33:32Z")
Food for thought: > **[Coronavirus: UK variant 'may be more deadly'](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55768627)** > > Evidence suggests the variant that emerged in the UK may be more deadly as well as faster-spreading. > Public Health England, Imperial College London, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of Exeter have each been trying to assess how deadly the new variant is. > > [Their evidence has been assessed](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/955224/NERVTAG_paper_on_variant_of_concern __VOC__ B.1.1.7.pdf) by scientists on the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag). > > The group concluded there was a “realistic possibility” that the virus had become more deadly, but this is far from certain. That link should take you to the NERVTAG report. > There is a realistic possibility that VOC B.1.1.7 is associated with an increased risk of death compared to non-VOC viruses. **TLDR** is that the case fatality ratio (CFR in the report) was found to be increased by ~30% for the new (UK) variant. j ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/260 "2021-01-22T21:21:36Z")
[Coronavirus home test kits: These are the tests available now - CNET](https://www.cnet.com/health/how-to-get-tested-for-coronavirus-at-home/) This link from October lists 8 home test kits, including 4 spit tests, in the price range $119 to $150. But at the time, people were also predicting test kits in the area of $10. Has any cheap test reached wide distribution anywhere? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428.md?page=14)