SocraticGadfly: Texas Progressives, coronavirus week 18

July 28, 2020

Texas Progressives, coronavirus week 18

This week is shorter than the past few since I renewed splitting coronavirus news off the rest of the Roundup, but, with the US passing 150,000 deaths, Texas past 5,000, and with 600 new deaths due to a change in counting method, and the rolling average of daily death rates UNflattened for four weeks in a row now, it still needs to be kept separate, as things will likely get worse before getting better.

We still don't know exactly how much a role asymptomatic carriers play in spreading coronavirus contagion, and that issue is still being worked out. National Geographic has more.

What's missing right now, in addition to not enough coronavirus testing to keep up with the spread rate, is not enough rapid enough testing to know about asymptomatic or presymptomatic positives before they spread. And, that's true in states red and blue alike.

In addition, we are learning there are superspreader individuals, as well as superspreader locations, like churches.

Speaking of, per Derek Thompson at Atlantic, let's stop the hygiene theater. Reasonable handwashing, yes. But hourly sterilization of schools and other spots? No. Theaters and churches, with large numbers of people in confined spaces and stale AC, should be closed period, per Derek. Other places should be at least severely restricted until fall and you stop running the damned AC. And yes, megachurch Karens, you're part of the problem.

Contra Donald Trump, only 22 percent of Americans think schools should reopen with little to no adjustments. It remains a minority, but jumps to 43 percent, among Republicans. Sadly, the polling doesn't have a breakdown between parents of K-12 kids versus others.

Meanwhile, kids have already gotten coronavirus at Texas summer camps, and at least one is doing its best/worst to avoid talking specifics.

Good Twitter thread here from a store clerk about enforcing masks.

My piece on how I was ready to start boycotting Winco if it didn't get serious about masks.

The rebellious Karens at Protestant megachurches are at it again.

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