Good to see cases falling.

As for small gatherings vs. bars/restaurants, it's easier to trace the former since the latter involves being inside with lots of strangers, so much more difficult to trace. But I don't see how the mechanism really differs between the two situations, as they are both indoors/close proximity scenarios.

You spend a longer time around others when you gather in private versus the 30 minutes or so you might be in "close" contact with others in a restaurant. You also tend to spend that time with family closer physically than you would strangers.

This.

Those are good answers. But I see people in larger groups than just their SO, and for hours in a restaurant or a bar (and bars can get crowded). There also seems to be a lot of discrepancies in how much time is required for transmission. I've seen 5-15 minutes stated in some studies .

One reason it would be interesting to see breakdown of local cases in more detail is to see if bar/restaurant staff are getting sick given the time spent indoors and close interactions with customers. Alas we won't know I suppose.

FlyRod said:

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Those are good answers. But I see people in larger groups than just their SO, and for hours in a restaurant or a bar (and bars can get crowded). There also seems to be a lot of discrepancies in how much time is required for transmission. I've seen 5-15 minutes stated in some studies .

One reason it would be interesting to see breakdown of local cases in more detail is to see if bar/restaurant staff are getting sick given the time spent indoors and close interactions with customers. Alas we won't know I suppose.

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I think those are the folks that drink lots more alcohol than me and me friends.

Today's numbers: 108 new confirmed cases, 49 probable cases, 55 (+4) Brazos County residents hospitalized,1,714 tests, 1 death - hospitalized male in his 70's

Current Brazos County vaccination numbers: 10,052 (+1,134) people vaccinated with at least one dose as of 2/2/21.

Total COVID hospitalizations in Region N: 89 (+2); 14.13% of total hospital capacity as of 2/1/21

Day 4 of less than 15% of total hospital capacity as COVID patients in our region.

MiMi said:

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Today's numbers: 108 new confirmed cases, 49 probable cases, 55 (+4) Brazos County residents hospitalized,1,714 tests, 1 death - hospitalized male in his 70's

Current Brazos County vaccination numbers: 10,052 (+1,134) people vaccinated with at least one dose as of 2/2/21.

Total COVID hospitalizations in Region N: 89 (+2); 14.13% of total hospital capacity as of 2/1/21

Day 4 of less than 15% of total hospital capacity as COVID patients in our region.

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I'm getting very curious... we should be or have vaccinated people in LTCF and older people ... at least a few. But our hospitals are still filling BACK UP. Huge dip into the 30's now back near 60...

At what point do y'all think we should start seeing the effects of the vaccines in our LTCF and older folks?

I would think by late February early March we should start to see the effects of these vaccines ... or am I wrong?

Also, since the overall number is going down, I wonder if our friends over at the health department didn't have the county count right.

With what limited information we get, it's really hard to know if an older person who needs hospitalization is coming from a LTCF or their own home. (Rapier on his scanner seems to be the only method for finding that out). Also, some older folks decline the vaccine for various reasons, and I haven't seen any data about patient's status reported anywhere either.

jeffk said:

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With what limited information we get, it's really hard to know if an older person who needs hospitalization is coming from a LTCF or their own home. (Rapier on his scanner seems to be the only method for finding that out). Also, some older folks decline the vaccine for various reasons, and I haven't seen any data about patient's status reported anywhere either.

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I do not understand this at all! In your 80's, the death rate is ~ 8%.

And apart from refusals, you also have some folks who are just disconnected and aren't proactive in going to get signed up OR don't have anyone else around to assist them through the process. There's so many factors affecting individual choices being made and we (the public) are only given a tiny piece of information - hospitalized or not.

Also those who believe the crazy conspiracy theories about Bill Gates tracking them via the vaccine and it altering your DNA somehow. I know some of those people.

jeffk said:

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With what limited information we get, it's really hard to know if an older person who needs hospitalization is coming from a LTCF or their own home. (Rapier on his scanner seems to be the only method for finding that out). Also, some older folks decline the vaccine for various reasons, and I haven't seen any data about patient's status reported anywhere either.

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I haven't heard anything of consequence which would make me think there is another outbreak at a nursing home, but I only have it running when I'm at home in the evening. It's pretty much been the normal level of EMS calls to nursing homes as of late, and only three in the past few weeks might have been coronavirus related; but it is often hard to tell if they don't say anything specific because all calls to nursing homes require the responders to use PPE no matter what the actual problem is. Generally the way it becomes obvious is numerous EMS runs in short order, all of which are for the same thing "respiratory problems/difficulty breathing" often with additional information for low O2 levels, or other obvious signs of respiratory distress. The Waterford, Parc, Lampstand, Generations Center for Senior Living, Legacy Nursing & Rehabilitation of Bryan, Accel at College Station, and Hudson Creek Alzheimer's Special Care Center, all had this happen over the last year. Easily could have been others with smaller outbreaks, and there are a few others I suspect since last March, but am not certain, but those are the ones I am 100% certain it sadly happened there. If the BCHD ever provided us with the data, I have little doubt we'd see that 75% or more of all deaths in this county came from nursing homes.

There could easily be an outbreak and I'm just not hearing it because the EMS calls are happening at other times when I'm at work or sleeping. The calls I've heard as of late that were specifically for patients with the virus (where dispatch tells EMS that the person is confirmed positive) were to homes/apartments. Obviously if I hear something about a nursing home, I'll mention that I suspect it is happening again.

Whats the percentage chance of someone in their 80's dying like everyday? Im guessing thousands die daily just from other factors outside covid

Most facilities in our area got the first vaccine dose around early January and the second sometime in the last week or two, so it makes sense that we'd (hopefully) see less severe cases there now.

TommyBrady said:

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Whats the percentage chance of someone in their 80's dying like everyday? Im guessing thousands die daily just from other factors outside covid

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That may be true. But my parents are 86 and 83 and are in great health. They are very active. Dying from Covid would cut years off their lives. They are definitely ready to get the vaccine. Unfortunately where they live the roll out has been slow. With no clear or easy process to sign up. I'm hoping they can get the first injection within the next few weeks.

jeffk said:

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Most facilities in our area got the first vaccine dose around early January and the second sometime in the last week or two, so it makes sense that we'd (hopefully) see less severe cases there now.

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I'm hopeful normal times are on the horizon.

So let's see, since it's been eight days below 15%, does that mean

A) Bars can open back up (except they all paid the fee to the gubmint already to get the waver saying they had more than 51% revenue to food or whatever anyway)

B) Restaurants can now expand to 75% since we know they've only been at 50% (wink wink)

Tailgate88 said:

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So let's see, since it's been eight days below 15%, does that mean

A) Bars can open back up (except they all paid the fee to the gubmint already to get the waver saying they had more than 51% revenue to food or whatever anyway)

B) Restaurants can now expand to 75% since we know they've only been at 50% (wink wink)

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https://www.kbtx.com/2021/02/06/business-capacity-returns-to-75-in-brazos-surrounding-counties/