# 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:** 61
**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:** [April 27, 2021, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1231 "2021-04-27T22:37:45Z")
The CDC says that many Americans, fully-vaccinated, of course, can safely be outdoors without masks unless in densely packed groups or crowds. > **[CDC says many Americans can now go outside without a mask](https://apnews.com/article/cdc-mask-wearing-guidance-d373775ddcf237764c19ff9428b59634)** > > NEW YORK (AP) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased its guidelines Tuesday on the wearing of masks outdoors, saying fully vaccinated Americans don't need to cover their faces anymore unless they are in a big crowd of strangers... ---
**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:** [April 27, 2021, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1232 "2021-04-27T22:37:52Z")
Tennessee: > **[Tennessee gov: Virus now not statewide public health crisis](https://apnews.com/article/health-tennessee-business-public-health-coronavirus-9542bdaaf954d0b7cc2749de5c0147d4)** > > NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee declared Tuesday that COVID-19 is no longer a statewide public health crisis, saying he is removing the option for most local governments to mandate masks in public and urging a few big counties with... ---
**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:** [April 27, 2021, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1233 "2021-04-27T22:39:23Z")
Louisiana: > **[Edwards rolls back Louisiana mask mandate, limits locations](https://apnews.com/article/health-government-and-politics-louisiana-coronavirus-d2cfc7f5a499c6c9f6f4375af267dc69)** > > BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Gov. John Bel Edwards on Tuesday partially lifted Louisiana's statewide mask mandate enacted to combat the coronavirus outbreak, limiting the face covering requirement to schools, hospitals, clinics and other specific... I’m not really convinced Louisiana is ready to relax; I suppose we’ll see soon enough if it this was unwise. ---
**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:** [April 27, 2021, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1234 "2021-04-27T22:40:52Z")
Oregon not doing well: > **[Counties with Oregon's biggest cities moved to extreme risk](https://apnews.com/article/health-lifestyle-business-coronavirus-oregon-3563078bcbaad4397ea432111264065e)** > > SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said Tuesday rising COVID-19 hospitalizations threaten to overwhelm doctors, and she is moving 15 counties into the extreme risk category, which imposes restrictions that include banning indoor restaurant... ---
**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:** [April 27, 2021, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1235 "2021-04-27T23:17:13Z")
Huh, that doesn’t bode well. Any indication what’s driving the increase in Oregon? ---
**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:** [April 28, 2021, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1236 "2021-04-28T00:50:02Z")
> Even as vaccinations protect more and more Oregonians, a variety of factors – the lifting of restrictions, virus variants, perhaps some people letting down their guard – has led to a spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. The more contagious B.1.1.7 coronavirus variant, first detected last December in Great Britain, is now responsible for most of the infections in Oregon. > **[Coronavirus in Oregon: 780 new cases, one death as COVID-19 variant becomes...](https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2021/04/coronavirus-in-oregon-780-new-cases-one-death-as-covid-19-variant-becomes-dominant-in-state.html)** > > Oregon reported 25,099 doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were administered on Saturday. Oregon used to be one of the most successful states. Now: > New cases over the past two weeks have been accelerating faster in Oregon than in any other state in the country – with a 63% increase in the past two weeks, according to The New York Times’ ranking of states. Oregon ranks 25th overall in new cases per capita over that same time period. > **[B.1.1.7 variant now responsible for most COVID-19 cases in Oregon, officials say](https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2021/04/b117-variant-now-responsible-for-most-covid-19-cases-in-oregon-officials-say.html)** > > Among samples tested for variants, B.1.1.7 accounted for 53% of cases in Oregon. ---
**Author:** ![mandala](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mandala/32/95_2.png) [@mandala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandala)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1237 "2021-04-28T02:16:15Z")
My brother lives in Mumbai and he says some people in his apartment complex are so terrified they will not step out of the house, lockdown or not. A relative in Delhi says the very air feels toxic, which astounded me. This is a high level of fear psychosis. The new variant, though ultra-contagious, is probably just as much or less virulent than the strain that was dominant during the first wave in India - the mortality % does not seem to have jumped in a big way. But even people who were working from home, and took all precautions, are getting infected. The infectivity of the new variant(s) is off the charts. ---
**Author:** ![mandala](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mandala/32/95_2.png) [@mandala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandala)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1238 "2021-04-28T02:17:14Z")
Not making a claim here, but the ultra-infective Indian variant has been found in the US. Could be one reason for the increase in case load. ---
**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:** [April 28, 2021, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1239 "2021-04-28T03:03:15Z")
The article quoted above says: > [@eschrodinger](#): > > The more contagious B.1.1.7 coronavirus variant, first detected last December in Great Britain, is now responsible for most of the infections in Oregon. That’s not supposed to be as bad as some of the new Indian variants. ---
**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:** [April 28, 2021, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1240 "2021-04-28T04:15:02Z")
149,338,174 total cases 3,148,894 dead 127,009,337 recovered In the US: 32,927,091 total cases 587,384 dead 25,521,913 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 148,497,686 total cases > 3,133,860 dead > 126,139,884 recovered > > In the US: > > 32,875,045 total cases > 586,611 dead > 25,475,789 recovered The world will cross the 150,000,000 case mark tomorrow. ---
**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:** [April 28, 2021, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1241 "2021-04-28T12:36:56Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > The CDC says that many Americans, fully-vaccinated, of course, can safely be outdoors without masks unless in densely packed groups or crowds. I predict a new cliche: “Why, Miss Jones, without your mask you’re _beautiful!_” (ducks and runs) ---
**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:** [April 28, 2021, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1242 "2021-04-28T16:11:48Z")
Aw geez. What next? > **[An Unexpected Pandemic Side Effect In Peru: A Comeback For TB](https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/04/28/988742791/an-unexpected-pandemic-side-effect-in-peru-a-comeback-for-tb)** > > Before COVID-19 hit, tuberculosis was on its way out in Peru. But COVID-related disruptions to treatments could mean the rise of drug-resistant strains and twice as many deaths. > … > COVID-19 has overwhelmed health-care systems and disrupted TB care all over the world. Peru in particular has [struggled](https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/01/20/world/covid-19-coronavirus) to secure sufficient personal protective equipment and continue medical services during the pandemic. “Public health systems in most countries have not made adequate adjustments to care for people with TB in the context of COVID,” says [Carole Mitnick](https://ghsm.hms.harvard.edu/faculty-staff/carole-diane-mitnick), a professor of global health and social medicine at Harvard Medical School. Unless major changes occur, she adds, “we’re going to see the effects of this pandemic for generations.” > > A three-month lockdown followed by a 10-month restoration period [of TB services] could result in an additional 6.3 million cases and an additional 1.4 million deaths worldwide in the next five years, according to [research](http://www.stoptb.org/assets/documents/news/Modeling%20Report_1%20May%202020_FINAL.pdf) from the Stop TB Partnership, an international body coordinating the fight against the disease. > … ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1243 "2021-04-28T22:17:44Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Aw geez. What next? “I see a bad moon rising. I see trouble on the way.” Massive leprosy outbreaks next? ---
**Author:** ![Jay\_Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Jay\_Z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jay_Z)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1244 "2021-04-28T23:09:19Z")
There are people here who have stated they haven’t been to a doctor of any sort since last March. Maybe just a reminder that life marches on, and there are plenty of other maladies that people may need to treat. Forgoing all medical treatment may do more harm than good. ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1245 "2021-04-28T23:38:58Z")
That reminded me of something that made the local news recently. > At least 1,053 people died from Alzheimer’s disease in Colorado during the first six months of the pandemic, which is up 26% from the 3-year-average for the same period, according to data from the state Department of Public Health and Environment. > **[More Coloradans are dying from Alzheimer’s disease during pandemic as social...](https://www.denverpost.com/2020/11/01/colorado-alzheimers-deaths-covid-pandemic/)** > > More Coloradans are dying from Alzheimer’s disease during the coronavirus pandemic, and the recent rise in new cases and hospitalizations has doctors worried that a “third wave” in this state will … ---
**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:** [April 29, 2021, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1246 "2021-04-29T02:58:49Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > > > Aw geez. What next? > > “I see a bad moon rising. I see trouble on the way.” > > Massive leprosy outbreaks next? If you see a plague of frogs start falling from the sky, be sure to run away, _run away_!!1! And sacrifice a bull. Pronto! ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2021, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1247 "2021-04-29T03:31:11Z")
> [@Jay\_Z](#): > > There are people here who have stated they haven’t been to a doctor of any sort since last March. Medicare patients get a free no-copay “wellness check” annually. It’s really perfunctory. The doctor says “how ya been feeling this past year? Anything new you want to bring up?” and orders a routine blood test. My HMO has been doing that by remote televideo conferences. If you have any actual new complaint, then maybe the doc will set you up with a live appointment. ---
**Author:** ![Jay\_Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Jay\_Z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jay_Z)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2021, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1248 "2021-04-29T05:16:12Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Medicare patients get a free no-copay “wellness check” annually. It’s really perfunctory. The doctor says “how ya been feeling this past year? Anything new you want to bring up?” and orders a routine blood test. My HMO has been doing that by remote televideo conferences. If you have any actual new complaint, then maybe the doc will set you up with a live appointment. That’s hard to do for dental visits or colonoscopies. Or any number of things. Time marches on. It’s a lot more dangerous for the workers than it is for me. Yes, one risk is greater than zero. And 10 risks, 50 risks are greater than one. At over a year’s time, there would be a question of mis-assessment of risk for someone still not getting needed care done. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2021, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1249 "2021-04-29T05:48:18Z")
Why in the world would that be abnormal? That could easily happen outside the pandemic if you never got more than a viral or self limiting infection. And people report catching less bugs due to the masking and such. I’m not saying people aren’t more hesitant to go to the doctor, but your post doesn’t sound alarming at all to me. Oh, and, well, I’m going to follow the CDC recommendations, which say to avoid unnecessary outings. As far as I’m concerned, that includes the eye doctor or non-emergency dentistry. Life goes on, but many things can be safely postponed. Or, like going to the doctor for a cold, were never necessary in the first place. ---
**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:** [April 29, 2021, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1250 "2021-04-29T05:57:30Z")
150,256,873 total cases 3,164,577 dead 127,795,714 recovered In the US: 32,983,695 total cases 588,337 dead 25,584,747 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 149,338,174 total cases > 3,148,894 dead > 127,009,337 recovered > > In the US: > > 32,927,091 total cases > 587,384 dead > 25,521,913 recovered [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428.md?page=60) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428.md?page=62)