The Corona Virus March 18, 2020

Things are really spiraling out of control in New York and especially in the city. I said that DeBlasio was making a really big mistake by keeping the schools open and I'm sure that has something to do with the terrible numbers coming out of New York.

Now he wants to do a shutdown in place but Cuomo isn't thrilled about that idea. I don't know why. It sounds like a good way to go to me.

There are currently 8,970 reported cases in the US and 145 reported deaths. That's an increase of 2,644 cases and 39 deaths.

New York has 3,037 cases and 21 deaths.
Washington has 1,075 cases and 66 deaths.
California has 820 cases and 14 deaths.

Here in New Jersey we have 427 cases and 5 deaths.

You've heard of the thin red line right? That's the point where you figure you're dead already so it doesn't matter any more.

New York and New Jersey are expanding critical care and hospital capacity (New Jersey is reopening several closed hospitals). Both have requested help from the Army Corp of Engineers to create even more additional capacity with a focus on critical care units.

Of course "asking for help" from Washington and actually getting it are two different things. I also think things have gone farther "faster" than in Europe or at least I hope they have. It's difficult to really tell.

I have to put "faster" in quotes because everything seems to be moving at a glacial pace while all of civilization seems like it's crashing down on our heads.

The graphs are really ugly but to put things in perspective. If you took all of the reported cases in the US and overlayed them onto the worst hit county in New Jersey, Bergen County, that comes out to 0.96% of the population. Unfortunately the number is rapidly climbing.

I have to keep telling myself things like that because I live in Bergen County and I'll never see 70 again.

Of course the problem with exponential curves is everything looks OK until suddenly it doesn't.