November 20, 2020 - Celebrating Thanksgiving

Celebrating Thanksgiving

November 20, 2020

On the day after the election, November 4, the United States exceeded 100,000 cases for the first time ever. Yesterday, November 19, our country fell just short of 200,000 cases and it is on pace to top 200,000 today. Only 8 states reported fewer than 1,000 cases yesterday, and one of them - Wyoming (population 578,000) - had 894 cases, which is a per capita rate 3 times higher than Alabama’s. Overall, according to one international tracker, the United States surpassed 12 million cases yesterday and 260,000 deaths today.

According to Johns Hopkins, the national 14-day positivity rate exceeds 10% and only 5 states meet the recommended rate of 5%. Alabama is obviously not one of them. With 2,463 more cases today (incl. 516 probables) and 11,495 tests, our positivity rate is 20.5% for the last 7 days, roughly the same as yesterday. However, because a few other states are doing even worse, Alabama has fallen to 9th in the nation in positivity rate, just ahead of Mississippi (19.7%). That is the definition of “damning with faint praise”.

Alabama added to its COVID patient population, which now stands at 1,329 patients (106 reporting hospitals), a level it last saw on August 13. Alabama suffered the deaths of 25 more of its citizens. 

The weekly COVID data for public schools (K-12) were updated today. This self-reporting system purports to include 90% of all school districts in the State, and reveals there were 2,261 positive cases statewide, an increase of 669 (42%) compared to last week. In all, 73 school districts showed an increase in cases, while 27 school districts showed a decrease. The 5 school districts with the most cases were, in order, Huntsville  - 115; Tuscaloosa County - 110; Jefferson County - 96; Etowah County - 86; and Madison County - 85. Other school districts in Jefferson County include Hoover, with 48 cases; Vestavia Hills with 40; Homewood - 29; Birmingham - 21; Trussville - 14; and Mtn Brook - 12.

The University of Alabama System also reported its weekly totals this afternoon. After rising 30% last week, the System’s totals remained level this week. Its Tuscaloosa campus reported 142 cases (incl. 27 faculty/staff), while UAB reported 72 cases (incl. 29 faculty/staff); and UAH reported 37 cases (incl. 6 faculty/staff). 95 clinical employees at UAB Hospital tested positive for the week.

People all over America are making decisions this weekend about how to celebrate Thanksgiving. The CDC and the vast majority of epidemiologists recommend staying home and celebrating only with those inside your household bubble. In many cases, that may be unrealistic or even impossible. I am the last person to judge. Whatever you decide to do, just remember that indoor aerosol transmission is the primary way this virus spreads. That means getting tested and wearing a mask whenever you expect to be indoors with someone outside your bubble. Here are the totals:

11/7 -   1768

11/8 -   1205

11/9 -   1190

11/10 - 1720

11/11 - 2070

11/12-  2000

11/13 - 2980

11/14 - 2226

11/15 - 1979

11/16 - 1410

11/17 - 1616

11/18 - 2638

11/19 - 2424

11/20 - 2463

Jefferson County had its 2nd highest total ever - 440 cases (incl 59 probables). Morgan County (home of Decatur) had 174 cases, followed by Mobile and Madison, both with 124 cases.