Daily corona round-up

Sturgis and the super-spreaders

The numbers from Sturgis are in. Seems that the annual motorcycle bacchanal in North Dakota is responsible for about 250,000 cases of COVID-19 — that’s 20 percent of our current cases, a public health crisis that should cost about $12.2 billion, according to this report.

It was compiled by a team of German scientists using cellphone data, CDC numbers and other, irrefutable points of fact. Yet when I shared it on my Facebook page — or, more accurately, this Mother Jones story about the study — a troll arose to refute its findings, clearly without reading, or perhaps understanding, the piece and the study upon which it was based, which I dropped into the comment thread.

Mathematical proof, settled microbial science, even the basic laws of logic are suspended in the super-spreader camp, where the whole thing is just big con designed to keep people locked inside. This footage from Sturgis seems to bear my thoughts out.

Anyway, looks like maybe we’re leveling off in North Carolina again? Lets dig into the numbers.

The numbers

  • North Carolina had a steep drop in cases today — just 716, the lowest since mid-August, though it comes on a low level of testing. Total: 178,635.
    • 71 new hospitalizations, making 827.
    • Positive test rate: 6.2 percent.
    • 2,909 deaths.
  • Guilford County has added 216 new cases, almost a third of the state’s daily total, claiming 7,328 so far. With 4,190 recovered (+67) and 164 dead, they have 3,074 existing cases (+249).
  • Forsyth County adds 25 new cases for 6,457 total. Recoveries number 5,685 (+103), and deaths 82, leaving 690 current cases.

A diversion

In honor of Sturgis and it’s droplets, I found this 1967 campy film about the bike scene. Hell’s Angels on Wheels was sort of a poor man’s Easy Rider, though Easy Rider came two years later. But both featured Jack Nicholson.

Program notes

  • For tonight’s featured image, we have “The Baker’s Cart” by Frenchman Jean Michelin, 1656. Taken from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s public-domain collection. And hey: The Met is now open on Fifth Avenue in NYC, if you’re in town.
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