COVID-19 2nd wave - Texas only - Stats and such

[Okie State 3888]

We literally clicked the button to send our kid back to Katy ISD yesterday. So of course this would happen today.

[atomheartbevo 90549]

1 hour ago, Anastasis said:

And this is all the logical and completely foreseeable consequence, because of course shaking up the safety protocols in the last couple months of in person schooling is exactly what we should be doing.   

14 minutes ago, Okie State said:

We literally clicked the button to send our kid back to Katy ISD yesterday. So of course this would happen today.

It's not like a bunch of kids/siblings/families are going to travel over spring break.   Oh.  Fuck.

Which is bad enough as it is - Thanksgiving and Christmas both saw bumps in cases in our kids' schools, and caused some classes to have to stay home.

We're three fucking months from the end of the school year, so I put it at about 90% that TEA tells the districts to fuck off, and then the at-school spread that the districts have worked so hard to keep from happening (at least in our kids schools, but I do know Austin-area high schools have fucked around and found out) is going to happen.

 

 

Edited March 3, 2021 by atomheartbevo

[Johnny Sack 8397]

9 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

It's not like a bunch of kids/siblings/families are going to travel over spring break.   Oh.  Fuck.

Which is bad enough as it is - Thanksgiving and Christmas both saw bumps in cases in our kids' schools, and caused some classes to have to stay home.

We're three fucking months from the end of the school year, so I put it at about 90% that TEA tells the districts to fuck off, and then the at-school spread that the districts have worked so hard to keep from happening (at least in our kids schools, but I do know Austin-area high schools have fucked around and found out) is going to happen.

 

 

Maybe, and I am just spit balling here, we could look at the plenty of states that have removed mask mandates and see if that has caused a problem before acting like a Kansas City fagit?

And are you really worried about the risk to school-aged kids?  Because I think rabies is the only disease that is less deadly to those under 18.

 

[atomheartbevo 90549]

2 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

Maybe, and I am just spit balling here, we could look at the plenty of states that have removed mask mandates and see if that has caused a problem before acting like a Kansas City fagit?

Maybe, just maybe, we got our numbers down because we did these kinds of things.  Because when we fucked around and found out, we were having to bring in mobile morgues.

 

[atomheartbevo 90549]

2 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

And are you really worried about the risk to school-aged kids?  Because I think rabies is the only disease that is less deadly to those under 18.

Bless your heart, maybe you don't have kids, or have been lucky to not have to deal with this, maybe you have your kids at home, maybe you don't give a fuck about your kids, but do understand that many/most schools have to deal with this:

Quote

Every student and staff member that has had direct contact with the affected student/staff member in the last seven days will also need to quarantine for 14 days. This includes, but is not limited to, the students and staff in a class, on a bus route, and in group extracurricular activities.

Because it's really, really fucking annoying when some other kid gets it and your kid gets to stay home as a result.

Maybe, just maybe, leave it up to the school districts on whether to do their covid/mask mandates.

I'd like to think TEA, given that those fuckers have been working from home, has enough self-awareness and can read the room that if they fuck around with school districts, it will come back to bite them in the ass.  But then they are fucking assholes at times, and don't seem to care, so I don't know.

[Johnny Sack 8397]

10 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

Bless your heart, maybe you don't have kids, or have been lucky to not have to deal with this, maybe you have your kids at home, maybe you don't give a fuck about your kids, but do understand that many/most schools have to deal with this:

Because it's really, really fucking annoying when some other kid gets it and your kid gets to stay home as a result.

Maybe, just maybe, leave it up to the school districts on whether to do their covid/mask mandates.

I'd like to think TEA, given that those fuckers have been working from home, has enough self-awareness and can read the room that if they fuck around with school districts, it will come back to bite them in the ass.  But then they are fucking assholes at times, and don't seem to care, so I don't know.

I thought today's order did exactly that, let school districts decide what they want to do? Am I mistaken?

[Larry T. Spider 1747]

7 hours ago, Johnny Sack said:

I thought today's order did exactly that, let school districts decide what they want to do? Am I mistaken?

Abbott said it would be up to TEA.

[Homercles 10206]

My district sent an email out saying they are still requiring masks about eight minutes after Abbott’s dumbass announcement.  

[BradInATX 9208]

Maybe, and I am just spit balling here, we could look at the plenty of states that have removed mask mandates and see if that has caused a problem before acting like a Kansas City fagit?
And are you really worried about the risk to school-aged kids?  Because I think rabies is the only disease that is less deadly to those under 18.
 

You never answered my question about this. Did those states remove the mask mandates and let it become a local jurisdiction decision, or did they do what Hot Wheels did which effectively bans mask mandates statewide?

Those are two different things. You know that.

[Enchubben 5598]

 

9 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

Good thing we don't have something like Spring Break next week.  Hopefully it's not the following week either, and was just canceled everywhere!

We’re talking college aged kids bodies in the palm trees of south padre island here!

[Anastasis 23700]

3 minutes ago, Enchubben said:

 

We’re talking college aged kids bodies in the palm trees of south padre island here!

We appear dead set on giving the UK variant a good running start it seems.

[Anastasis 23700]

32 minutes ago, Homercles said:

My district sent an email out saying they are still requiring masks about eight minutes after Abbott’s dumbass announcement.  

Same. 

[Captainant 28395]

9 hours ago, ChuckNorrisActionJeans said:

and what exactly is the benefit of all that to Republicans? Public school chaos? Or just unforeseen consequences of a stupid, impulsive order?

I just don't see the gain with MAGATs of being all "yeah! school kids should all go back in person and no one can protect themselves! America Fuck yeah!"

It's a distraction from the states failure during the freeze. Abbott is trumping the news with a more attention-grabbing headline to change the discussion and throw red meet to the johnny sacks of the state and this board

[Wulaw Horn 19560]

On 3/1/2021 at 6:32 PM, BradInATX said:

Well, around now-ish is where I'd expect to see hospitalizations and death decrease due to the most vulnerable hitting decent vax numbers. We're going to start to lose hospitalizations as an honest indicator of community spread, and will have to start looking at cases and positivity rates, which we all know are flawed. Statistically that sucks, but it's great that it's happening.

Serious question, but do we actually give a fuck?  If this thing isn’t sending people to the hospital why should we think of this as anything different than flu or strep throat or whatever that sucks when you catch it but nobody gives a shit about?

will we even really still be tracking this when the death number goes to .2 or .3 and if so why so?

This isn’t argumentative as a question/it’s not a well thought out post. Change my mind. 

[BradInATX 9208]

5 minutes ago, Wulaw Horn said:

Serious question, but do we actually give a fuck?  If this thing isn’t sending people to the hospital why should we think of this as anything different than flu or strep throat or whatever that sucks when you catch it but nobody gives a shit about?

will we even really still be tracking this when the death number goes to .2 or .3 and if so why so?

This isn’t argumentative as a question/it’s not a well thought out post. Change my mind. 

Yeah, I agree with you. But it's nice to be able to sit back and watch the vaccines work, and some decisions are still going to be predicated on community spread. Without hospitalizations, we're going to have difficulty finding a reliable way to track it. Some vaccinated people will still get it, but they'll likely never get tested because it'll be a minor cold. 

My goalpost for when I'll start living like 2019 again has always been when the hospitals aren't in danger of being overwhelmed (I think we are already there permanently), and when most of our at-risk are vaccinated and hospital numbers are negligible. We are close. Maybe a month away. 

[Wulaw Horn 19560]

8 minutes ago, BradInATX said:

Yeah, I agree with you. But it's nice to be able to sit back and watch the vaccines work, and some decisions are still going to be predicated on community spread. Without hospitalizations, we're going to have difficulty finding a reliable way to track it. Some vaccinated people will still get it, but they'll likely never get tested because it'll be a minor cold. 

My goalpost for when I'll start living like 2019 again has always been when the hospitals aren't in danger of being overwhelmed (I think we are already there permanently), and when most of our at-risk are vaccinated and hospital numbers are negligible. We are close. Maybe a month away. 

What I’ve found from this thing is I can’t live like its 2019 until more or less everyone lives like it’s 2019. Everything is like somewhere between 20 and 80% less fun than it was before without people and with masks. 
I’m old with 3 little kids so we don’t go to bars or anything like that, but movies, church, restaurants etc man- it’s just kind of a bummer to be out without anyone else around and to be masked. Vegas was really not fun. I had no idea I’d miss other people that are random and I don’t really know and interact with so much. The feeling of community and commonality has been dead for a year- I think of myself as an introvert and anti social (or at least in the edge of that) but have been missing that. 
I guess what I’m saying is come on back to 2019 as soon as you can- I’ve surprisingly missed you. No pressure or anything. 
I really hope we can remember all these things going forward and make a more appreciative society. 

[BradInATX 9208]

1 minute ago, Wulaw Horn said:

What I’ve found from this thing is I can’t live like its 2019 until more or less everyone lives like it’s 2019. Everything is like somewhere between 20 and 80% less fun than it was before without people and with masks. 
I’m old with 3 little kids so we don’t go to bars or anything like that, but movies, church, restaurants etc man- it’s just kind of a bummer to be out without anyone else around and to be masked. Vegas was really not fun. I had no idea I’d miss other people that are random and I don’t really know and interact with so much. The feeling of community and commonality has been dead for a year- I think of myself as an introvert and anti social (or at least in the edge of that) but have been missing that. 
I guess what I’m saying is come on back to 2019 as soon as you can- I’ve surprisingly missed you. No pressure or anything. 
I really hope we can remember all these things going forward and make a more appreciative society. 

We are going to a concert April 3rd and Vegas early May, lined up with my second shot and about when I think the community spread numbers will be as low as they were around spring 2019. I can't wait to get back. This summer is going to be a party.

[Wulaw Horn 19560]

22 minutes ago, BradInATX said:

We are going to a concert April 3rd and Vegas early May, lined up with my second shot and about when I think the community spread numbers will be as low as they were around spring 2019. I can't wait to get back. This summer is going to be a party.

Hopefully they chill out in Vegas from when I was there. It wasn’t awesome at all. Like having sex in a hazmat suit or something. 

[Okie State 3888]

My district sent an email out saying they are still requiring masks about eight minutes after Abbott’s dumbass announcement.  

Ours too. Hope it stays that way through the end of the school year.

My work just sent a similar email.

[utee94 16068]

26 minutes ago, Okie State said:

Ours too. Hope it stays that way through the end of the school year.

My work just sent a similar email.

My workplace isn't even THINKING about returning to the office until midsummer at the earliest, more likely fall.  So they're also not about to change the mask policy for the handful of engineers that are required to be in-person at the labs, regardless of whatever the governor says.

I hope my kids' schools adhere to that as well.

[ABSR 5357]

3 hours ago, Larry T. Spider said:

Abbott said it would be up to TEA.

The TEA does not mandate for this type of stuff, only gives guidance, so each school district will decide based on their own what to do.   Which will make things even more complicated and contentious.   

Our school district has said they are following county health guidance and TEA guidance in the past, so will be interesting to see what is done.   I would hope that everyone would just say "for an abundance of caution" they will continue as is throughout the school year and then re-assess for the summer and beyond.   Likely we won't need similar requirements after this Spring semester and my district has both options (In person and virtual), so hopefully we finish with the same rules/structure and then adjust.

[Hate 20232]

Hopefully they chill out in Vegas from when I was there. It wasn’t awesome at all. Like having sex in a hazmat suit or something.

[Born to Run 6598]

Serious question, but do we actually give a fuck?  If this thing isn’t sending people to the hospital why should we think of this as anything different than flu or strep throat or whatever that sucks when you catch it but nobody gives a shit about?
will we even really still be tracking this when the death number goes to .2 or .3 and if so why so?
This isn’t argumentative as a question/it’s not a well thought out post. Change my mind. 

My niece has nuerlogical damage from covid- can't drive, had to suspend college, facial tics.

Lost several friends from Covid

Fuck you and your "it's the flu"

[Guest Lobo]

to be fair, a lot of the "it's just the flu" crowd has had the flu and also has had brain damage, but both unrelated.  

[Wulaw Horn 19560]

35 minutes ago, Born to Run said:

My niece has nuerlogical damage from covid- can't drive, had to suspend college, facial tics.

Lost several friends from Covid

Fuck you and your "it's the flu"

Lots of people die from the flu. 4,000 kids a year die of strep throat. I didn’t say what you are responding to- read that again. My response was a hypothetical to his hypothetical which was presupposing that spread of Covid after immunizations roll out would totally decouple from hospitalizations and deaths (aka our worst possible outcomes). Shit dude, before telling me to fuck off feel free to read what I said. 

[Bevo 13827]

24 minutes ago, Wulaw Horn said:

Shit dude, before telling me to fuck off feel free to read what I said. 

 

 

[scottsins 2040]

Lots of people die from the flu. 4,000 kids a year die of strep throat. I didn’t say what you are responding to- read that again. My response was a hypothetical to his hypothetical which was presupposing that spread of Covid after immunizations roll out would totally decouple from hospitalizations and deaths (aka our worst possible outcomes). Shit dude, before telling me to fuck off feel free to read what I said. 

Totally makes sense. I think the point he was trying to make is that the vast majority of moderate-severe long haulers syndrome persons seems to be made up of those who had mild cases of COVID.

[BrazilHorn 6794]

Another good day for Travis county with 186 cases. No major gotchas in the age groups. 32 admits. I would hope to start to see admit numbers reduce in coming weeks based off of the reduction in cases.

Age Bracket	<1	1 to 9	10 to 19	20 to 29	30 to 39	40 to 49	50 to 59	60 to 69	70 to 79	>80	Total
New Cases 3/3 vs 3/2	0	5	21	49	36	35	20	13	3	4	186
% of Daily Change	0.00%	2.69%	11.29%	26.34%	19.35%	18.82%	10.75%	6.99%	1.61%	2.15%
% of Total Cases	0.57%	4.12%	10.12%	25.55%	20.85%	15.09%	11.45%	6.75%	3.31%	2.20%

[Surly Bevo 25658]

24 minutes ago, BrazilHorn said:

Another good day for Travis county with 186 cases. No major gotchas in the age groups. 32 admits. I would hope to start to see admit numbers reduce in coming weeks based off of the reduction in cases.

Age Bracket	<1	1 to 9	10 to 19	20 to 29	30 to 39	40 to 49	50 to 59	60 to 69	70 to 79	>80	Total
New Cases 3/3 vs 3/2	0	5	21	49	36	35	20	13	3	4	186
% of Daily Change	0.00%	2.69%	11.29%	26.34%	19.35%	18.82%	10.75%	6.99%	1.61%	2.15%
% of Total Cases	0.57%	4.12%	10.12%	25.55%	20.85%	15.09%	11.45%	6.75%	3.31%	2.20%

Yep, and I am guessing even this reporting "trails" some.  For example this was a note on the Tarrant Country site today where the number of new cases was posted at 658.

203 of the new cases reported today are the result of an electronic lab report backlog sent from the Department of State Health Services.  The specimens for these positive lab reports were collected more than 30 days ago.

This particular "whoopsie daisy" aside positive tests go through some processing before they hit the boards of various counties/reporting agencies.  

[atomheartbevo 90549]

10 hours ago, ABSR said:

The TEA does not mandate for this type of stuff, only gives guidance, so each school district will decide based on their own what to do.   Which will make things even more complicated and contentious.   

TEA claims they have the final say.  For now, they are going to allow local districts to determine local mask policy.

https://tea.texas.gov/about-tea/news-and-multimedia/news-releases/news-2021/texas-education-agency-announces-updates-to-public-health-guidance-tea-also-provides-updates-to-covid-19-vaccine-faq

Quote

TEA’s authority to implement operational requirements for public schools remains in effect (e.g., TEA’s Public Health Guidance). 

As a result of the lifting of the order on masks, TEA has updated its Public Health Guidance. Under this updated guidance, a public school system’s current practices on masks may continue unchanged. Local school boards have full authority to determine their local mask policy.

TEA has also made updates related to surface cleaning requirements. 

Going hand-in-hand with that, like within minutes of the TEA announcement, it was announced today that school teachers, staff, and childcare workers (who weren't already eligible) would be allowed to get the vaccine.

Meanwhile, TEA is probably still working from home.

[Larry T. Spider 1747]

11 hours ago, ABSR said:

The TEA does not mandate for this type of stuff, only gives guidance, so each school district will decide based on their own what to do.   Which will make things even more complicated and contentious.   

Our school district has said they are following county health guidance and TEA guidance in the past, so will be interesting to see what is done.   I would hope that everyone would just say "for an abundance of caution" they will continue as is throughout the school year and then re-assess for the summer and beyond.   Likely we won't need similar requirements after this Spring semester and my district has both options (In person and virtual), so hopefully we finish with the same rules/structure and then adjust.

Abbott’s order continues to give TEA the authority to issue operational requirements. TEA chose to give districts the option to not follow the mask rules because they felt like it, not because they don’t have the authority.

[Captainant 28395]

So about Texans staying smart and continuing to follow health practices...

we gon get SICK yall!!

[InkaUtexas 26803]

Add Spring Break, disbelievers and St. Patricks day into one week. Great fucking timing. 

[Anastasis 23700]

I do like some fried oysters though. 

[Brisketexan 106629]

6 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

I do like some fried oysters though. 

This is true.

I'm fully vaxxed now.  I'm not going to take a shitload of extra risks....but some patio time with some oysters and crawfish will definitely happen.

[Anastasis 23700]

5 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

This is true.

I'm fully vaxxed now.  I'm not going to take a shitload of extra risks....but some patio time with some oysters and crawfish will definitely happen.

Has quality seafood added a patio? Cause I am in line for my second shot and now I am craving fried oysters. 

[Brisketexan 106629]

Just now, Anastasis said:

Has quality seafood added a patio? Cause I am in line for my second shot and now I am craving fried oysters. 

Shoal Creek has one.

[Captainant 28395]

6 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

This is true.

I'm fully vaxxed now.  I'm not going to take a shitload of extra risks....but some patio time with some oysters and crawfish will definitely happen.

My wife and I have been trying to figure out how we feel about just pulling out the stops to get vaxxed, but we're both young, healthy, and not 1a/b. Guess that's what we get for living healthy and not smoking. 

How'd y'all get doses lined up? Did y'all have to lie about 1a/b?

[Brisketexan 106629]

3 minutes ago, Captainant said:

My wife and I have been trying to figure out how we feel about just pulling out the stops to get vaxxed, but we're both young, healthy, and not 1a/b. Guess that's what we get for living healthy and not smoking. 

How'd y'all get doses lined up? Did y'all have to lie about 1a/b?

Didn't have to lie.  Both wife and I have HBP.  And I ain't skinny.  I ain't Mangino, but I ain't skinny.

And at this point, or at least within the next coupla weeks....I say fuck it, get shots in arms.

[Anastasis 23700]

18 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Shoal Creek has one.

Mmmm.  
 

 

[Anastasis 23700]

21 minutes ago, Captainant said:

How'd y'all get doses lined up? Did y'all have to lie about 1a/b?

I’ve been diagnosed with stage III BDE. 

[Captainant 28395]

1 minute ago, Anastasis said:

I’ve been diagnosed with stage III BDE. 

you have small hands and feet?

[atomheartbevo 90549]

1 hour ago, Captainant said:

So about Texans staying smart and continuing to follow health practices...

we gon get SICK yall!!

I've been to those kinds of events.  At least half of that crowd is going to have Ye Olde Pre-Existing Conditions that would let Covid really fuck them up, so maybe there is some Darwin at play here?

[Captainant 28395]

1 minute ago, atomheartbevo said:

I've been to those kinds of events.  At least half of that crowd is going to have Ye Olde Pre-Existing Conditions that would let Covid really fuck them up, so maybe there is some Darwin at play here?

I mean, Port OConnor hasn't been taking it seriously since at least Thanksgiving lol. Over New Years while I was down there duck hunting, facemasks were less common than trump flags. Gonna be down again this weekend and I'm more or less expecting a bunch of boomers going fully covid-hoax.

[BrazilHorn 6794]

I think Abbott is facing a budget shortfall and by allowing the mask protestors to go mask-less  and everything to be open 100% you end up killing a bunch of heavy users of the health care system in Texas.

Freakonomics shit

[Anastasis 23700]

12 minutes ago, BrazilHorn said:

I think Abbott is facing a budget shortfall and by allowing the mask protestors to go mask-less  and everything to be open 100% you end up killing a bunch of heavy users of the health care system in Texas.

Freakonomics shit

Were there really people lobbying in an organized way to drop the mask requirement.  Reopening I get, and if that was the focus I think that a good number of people would support it.  But was there really an organized lobby in Abbott's ear pushing against the mask mandate?  And I don't mean twitter trolls or dumbasses like us arguing about shit on the internet, I mean the people that can actually influence decision making. 

[utee94 16068]

13 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

Were there really people lobbying in an organized way to drop the mask requirement.  Reopening I get, and if that was the focus I think that a good number of people would support it.  But was there really an organized lobby in Abbott's ear pushing against the mask mandate?  And I don't mean twitter trolls or dumbasses like us arguing about shit on the internet, I mean the people that can actually influence decision making. 

That's the part I really don't get.  Sure, there are people grousing on the internet about the masks, but that situation was managed.  Politically there's really no difference in eliminating mask ordinance now, or a month from now (after Spring Break, St. Pat's, Easter and with another several million shots in arms).

This was just so arbitrary and unnecessary.

 

[Guest Lobo]

Somebody Abbott takes real serious whispered a real serious name who is real serious about primary'ing Abbott next year.  Abbott panicked and tacked on the mask thing to what was otherwise just gonna be dialing down business restrictions between now and 1 June.  He caught a lot of people off guard.  I have no idea what name they told him, but between that and the new somber reality that he's gonna be dragged in front of the Legislature to answer for PUC/ERCOT, he got spooked big time.  Say what you want about the man, he's typically very even-keeled.  He ain't himself lately, something else is afoot. 

Edited March 4, 2021 by Lobo

[BrazilHorn 6794]

32 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

Were there really people lobbying in an organized way to drop the mask requirement.  Reopening I get, and if that was the focus I think that a good number of people would support it.  But was there really an organized lobby in Abbott's ear pushing against the mask mandate?  And I don't mean twitter trolls or dumbasses like us arguing about shit on the internet, I mean the people that can actually influence decision making. 

I just have to figure that someone got to him and advised that he needed to take a stand here and move out in front of the mask mandate & reopening.

The timing is weird how all this went down.

[Deej 77674]

2 hours ago, Captainant said:

How'd y'all get doses lined up? Did y'all have to lie about 1a/b?

You just have to show them you have been a Longhorn Foundation member for the past ten years and have purchased season tickets for any of the Big 3 men's sports. They  then just assume your blood pressure is through the roof.