We're going backwards :(

Don't have symptoms, aren't high-risk but want a COVID-19 test? You can't get one in Canada now
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/don-t-have-symptoms-aren-t-high-risk-but-want-a-covid-19-test-you-can-t-get-one-in-canada-now-1.5120470

Again more than 400 cases in Ontario today despite the late September warm weather (high of 26c today, feels like 29c). Ontario is taking up to 40K swabs daily, however the labs can only resolve 30K to 35K swabs a day. Pending tests are now up to 65K. So much for tracking and tracing in a timely manner.

Online learning was the right choice, so far already a case discovered in grade 4 at our school (which my youngest would have been in) and another on the bus route my kids would have been on. We had a good phys ed today, I took my kid cross country, climbing, crossing the river and streams. The instructions were, go do something active, so we did. Fun.

This is interesting; according to the New England Journal of Medicine, face masks actually could be giving us immunity to COVID-19.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/face-masks-could-giving-people-covid-19-immunity-researchers/

Basically, there's increasing evidence that the amount of virus one is exposed to plays a part in how severe the infection is, and even if a mask doesn't completely stop the virus, it lets in such a tiny amount that it acts like an inoculation.

Top 4 Covid # states are in the same order as the top 4 most populated states.

The US started with a NYC (blue) hotspot and went to the south hotcluster (yellow). The 'second wave' is the south going through its first wave. Everyone else not so much going on.

From hotspot to nothing, total burnout

New York reported over 1k cases and Jersey over 700. First time these states have reached these numbers since early June.

A correlation with a higher proportion of asymptomatic cases could just as well come from those more at risk staying isolated. That's my experience here. Families with at risk people cohort up together while avoiding those that take less care. Mostly evidenced in the split between those opting for online learning and those sending the kids to school.

It's not the same sample that goes out and gets exposed as when the pandemic started. Eldery homes are shut tight, hospitals are off limits to visitors, new rules everywhere to make interaction safer for those at risk. Hence the much lower average age of infected people, and thus a higher proportion of asymptomatic cases. Besides that we're also detecting far more asymptomatic cases compared to March, April.

There's probably some correlation with viral load exposure and how sick you can get, yet suggesting wearing a masks could be giving you immunity, irresponsible to word it that way. But maybe it will get more people to wear masks that otherwise wouldn't :)

Weekly update, some recovering, some back into exponential growth.

Word wide 2.07 million new cases in the past week, slightly up from 2.04 million the week before. Total 32.8 million cases reported.
Reported deaths went up slightly as well 37.3K last week, 36.8K the week before. Total: 993.0K, we'll pass the million reported deaths tomorrow :/

USA cases up, deaths slightly down. Europe cases up, deaths slightly up. More details below.

The continents

Asia 831.0K new cases (down from 868.1K) and 12,480 deaths (down from 12,784) Asia passed the 10 million cases
South America 394.4K new cases (down from 425.1K) and 10,424 deaths (up from 10,220) 7.8 million total cases.
North America 388.6K new cases (up from 357.9) and 9,191 deaths (up from 8,904) 8.6 million total cases.
Europe 396.5K new cases (up from 340.7K) and 3,886 new deaths (up from 3,535) Europe will pass the 5 million reported cases next week.
Africa 55.5K new cases (up from 52.1K) and 1,235 new deaths (down from 1,267)
Oceania 642 new cases (up from 478) and 37 new deaths (down from 42)

Corners of the world


India 596.1K new cases (down from 648.1K) and 7,785 new deaths (down from 8,119)
USA 318.2k new cases (up from 289.7K) and 5,269 new deaths (down from 5,750)
Brazil 195.1K new cases (down from 213.4K) and 4,852 new deaths (down from 5,383)
Iran 23.7K new cases (up from 18.4K) and 1,270 new deaths (up from 1,039)
South Africa 10.9K new cases (down from 11.2K) and 455 new deaths (down from 479)

Canada 9,589 new cases (up from 5,241) and 50 new deaths (up from 42)
Japan 3,003 new cases (down from 3,593) and 50 new deaths (down from 70)
South Korea 672 new cases (down from 864) and 18 new deaths (down from 27)
Australia 139 new cases (down from 296) and 33 new deaths (down from 40)

Europe in detail

France, UK, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark have surpassed their previous peaks.
All are trending up, some alarmingly fast.

At least the more at risk are still being careful, deaths are not increasing much (yet)
And of course we're detecting far more milder cases than during the first wave.

Overall a bad situation to head into fall and flu season.

Well, it is just a theory, and is worded that way. I don't think its irresponsible to air a hypothesis, the more people wear masks the better.

With so much bad going on, I think its good to keep abreast of potentially positive developments.

It can't harm, yet it's cutting a few corners stating that a vaccine is comparable to getting a low dose of live virus. It's the telegraph, dumbed down :) It's not actually worded like that but the suggestion is there. I doubt people will put on a mask and go sit next to infected people to build immunity, of course there are those that will drink chlorox :/

Anyway masks help in lots of ways.

Damn those Canada numbers. From 5k to 9k.