July 24, 2020 - Freddie Freeman and US Olympic Rowers
Freddie Freeman and US Olympic Rowers
July 24, 2020
After yesterday’s shocking news of a 900+ increase in cases, I was anxious to learn what today would bring. In terms of new cases, the news is modestly better - 1,793 (incl. 124 probables), which almost exactly matches our 7-day average for new cases. But, there were also 41 more deaths (incl. 3 probables), almost doubling our 7-day average for deaths. That amounts to 135 deaths in just three days, 35% higher than any previous 3-day death total in Alabama since the pandemic began.
Our positivity rate continues to climb, reflecting rapid community spread. For a single day, the positivity rate is 21.5% and, for the week, it is 19.6%. Not since June 20 has Alabama’s positivity rate been higher than Florida’s, but even Florida now has a rate below 19%. Only Arizona (24.96%) and Mississippi (20.58%) have higher weekly positivity rates than Alabama.
There are now 1,570 hospitalized Alabamians, a decline of 16 from yesterday, though UAB broke its own inpatient record, treating 107. Much attention is focused on rising hospitalizations, and rightly so, but it is important to recognize the damage this virus can cause, even when the symptoms don’t rise to a level requiring hospital admission.
For instance, consider this story about the U.S. Olympic women’s rowing team. More than one-third of the team (13 women) became infected with COVID-19 in March and April after contact with the team’s physical therapist. These are world-class athletes with incredibly powerful and efficient lungs. Emily Regan, an Olympic gold medalist, reported that it took her a full month to begin to feel back to normal and she is still recovering more than three months later.
Freddie Freeman, the Atlanta Braves all-star first baseman, described his battle with COVID-19 this way when his fever spiked to 104.5: “I said a little prayer that night. I’ve never been that hot before. My body was really, really hot. So I said, ‘Please don’t take me.’ I wasn’t ready … I can’t compare it to the flu. I can’t compare it to a cold. I’ve never had a 104.5 fever before. It hit me hard.”
Young people would do well to heed the warnings of these athletes. Here are the 14-day totals:
7/11 - 1,402
7/12 - 1,640
7/13 - 1,958
7/14 - 1,710
7/15 - 1,817
7/16 - 2,021
7/17 - 2,003
7/18 - 2,143
7/19 - 1,777
7/20 - 1,880
7/21 - 1,467
7/22 - 1,455
7/23 - 2,399
7/24 - 1,793
Jefferson (257), Madison (154) and Mobile (100) led the way as the only counties with over 100 cases.