The Covid Chronicles: July 1

July 01, 2020

July 1

  • Dallas County: 21,882 total cases, 544 new cases, and 7 more deaths.

Perhaps some good news is finally happening on the COVID-19 front.

First up is this Twitter thread. I'd take it with a grain of salt, but it reveals some of the reasoning behind the data (exactly what is a "COVID hospitalization"?) and suggests that new cases may be milder than before.

Wondering what’s really happening in Texas? Here’s the email, from a senior executive at a Texas ER chain that sees thousands of patients a month. He went on the record - a brave move. I’m going to let him speak for himself. (Two tweets of screenshots. Worth reading to the end.) pic.twitter.com/4xuBdTIFIc

Alex Berenson (@AlexBerenson) June 30, 2020

Second is that while recent protests spread the coronavirus, it was less severe than hanging out in a bar.

I’ve come around to the conclusion that the George Floyd protests were minor spreaders of the coronavirus — not as bad as young people gathering in bars and throwing parties, but not the non-factor that supporters of the protests want to believe they were.

Read more

I'm still going to wear my mask and maintain a six-foot bubble around me, but I'm cautiously optimistic.


An experimental coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer and partner BioNTech showed promising signs of working in an early-stage study, researchers said https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-vaccine-candidate-from-pfizer-biontech-produces-positive-results-in-early-study-11593620774?mod=e2tw

The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) July 1, 2020


And yet...

Austin City Limits cancels 2020 music festival

Austin City Limits Music Festival will no longer take place in 2020. We would have loved to put on another memorable show this year, however, with the uncertainty surrounding the current situation in Texas, this decision is the only responsible solution. The health and safety of our fans, artists, partners, staff and the entire Austin community remains our highest priority.


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Written by Shawn Borton
Drupal and PHP expert, Christian, rabid Dallas Stars fan, devoted Texas Longhorns alum, lover of libraries, coffee shops, and quiet places.
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