COVID-19 General Colorado Thread (Denver, Boulder: college dorms, authority, childcare)

[Vision67]

"The state's positivity rate is also skyrocketing. The World Health Organization considers a 5 percent rate per 100,000 people to be a cause for alarm; Colorado's is now at 9.76 percent, up 1.85 percent. In addition, the previous week's outpatient syndromic COVID-19 visits registered at 14.96 percent."

https://www.westword.com/news/colora...pdate-11835180

[sammy87]

Elway has Covid now

[Vision67]

Hospitalizations approach record high with COVID-19 'surging across Colorado,' officials warn

https://gazette.com/news/hospitaliza...1af4879fc.html

"Colorado is expected to hit a record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations within the next two to three days, state health officials said Wednesday, warning that "the pandemic is surging across Colorado."

"We're seeing a steep rise in hospitalizations and mounting pressure on the hospital system," Rachel Herlihy, an epidemiologist with the state health department, said during a virtual news conference.

As of Wednesday, 83% of ICU beds and 82% of acute care beds in the state were in use, according to state data. Nearly 40% of adult critical care ventilators are in use.

On Wednesday the Colorado Hospitals Association announced that it had created a combined hospital transfer center in anticipation of a greater surge of cases. The center will be activated if the number of patients needing transfer exceeds local capacity, according to a news release from the group.

The anticipated strain on hospital capacity comes after a week of case counts routinely topping 2,000 per day, and as the percent of people tested found to have the virus approaches 10% — double the upper limit recommended by the World Health Organization for communities to reopen.

That rate has more than doubled over the past week, Herlihy said, and continues to increase daily.

The average Coloradan with the sometimes deadly virus now spreads it to 1.66 other people, said Jon Samet, dean of the Colorado School of Public Health.

Transmission control is dropping among all age groups, he said, adding that the rise in hospitalizations is happening more rapidly than the state forecasted.

"We are exceeding too quickly these trajectories as the epidemic propagates," he said. "The curve is going up steeply, perhaps even more steeply than we estimated earlier in the week."

If conditions stay the same, the state could see ICU bed capacity exceeded in late December, he said, adding that this milestone could be reached as soon as mid-December if transmission increases due to holiday gatherings.

The tricky part of controlling the virus' spread is that people are most contagious before they're symptomatic, said Eric France, state health department chief medical officer.

"You might feel fine today, but you're destined tomorrow to feel sick," he said. "Today you're walking around spreading the virus.

"This is our challenge: How do we not spread the virus?"

That's why minimizing social contact and maximizing social distancing are so key, regardless of risk or symptoms — it's impossible to tell, without testing, who is a walking contagion, France said.

"We need each Coloradan to personally do their part by taking precautions as if it was April," he added.

At least 18 counties now qualify for stay-at-home orders based on disease incidence, France said, adding that those counties would be working with the state over the coming days to solidify plans that will attempt to rein in spread of the disease.

As of Wednesday El Paso County, with 470 cases of the virus per 100,000 residents over a two-week period, and Denver County, with 620 cases per 100,000 residents over the same time, had exceeded the threshold of 350 set by the state.

El Paso County sits in the middle at Safer at Home Level 2, or yellow, while Denver is at Safer at Home Level 3, or orange — the last stop before a stay-at-home order.

The state health department announced Wednesday that Boulder County would join Denver in the orange zone due to rapid growth of the virus in the county. Its incidence per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks has been 312, according to a news release sent Wednesday by Boulder County Public Health.

France said he expected local leaders in counties hardest hit by the virus to begin considering curfews, as the city of Pueblo did last week, and other measures that could avert a lockdown.

Controlling the virus will be an uphill battle, officials said, as COVID fatigue settles in further, the holidays approach, and, potentially, given the colder weather ahead, there might be a component of seasonality to COVID-19 as there is with the flu and common cold.

"Perhaps the virus likes the cold weather," Samet said. "That's something we don't understand, but some (viruses) do.""

[Vision67]

https://www.9news.com/article/news/h...8-d6b25931658f

"DENVER — Hospitalizations related to COVID-19 have reached an all-time in Colorado, surpassing the peak from April, Gov. Jared Polis (D-Colorado) said during an update Thursday afternoon about the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and new modeling.

"Colorado, I love you, this is an intervention," Polis said. "Cancel your social plans the next few weeks, avoid interacting with others, wear a mask, keep your distance, let's get through this."

Right now 894 people are in the hospital, above the previous high of 888 set in April.

"I really hope and trust that that's a wake up call," Polis said. "Our attention might have been distracted by the election or dealing with the horrific fires, now it's time to refocus on what we know we need to do to reduce this pandemic toll here in Colorado.""

[Vision67]

Polis: Colorado at its worst point since beginning of pandemic

https://gazette.com/news/local/polis...6d1f02a49.html

"Colorado is at its worst point since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March, with the highest number of cases and hospitalizations, Gov. Jared Polis and public health officials said Thursday.

Polis said 894 people are now in the hospital with the virus — the previous peak had been 888 in April — and one in every 100 Coloradans is contagious with the virus.

Polis said 3,368 new cases were diagnosed on Wednesday, also a new record. October was far worse and more deadly than previous months, and the state cannot afford to have a November like that he said.

Asked if he's considering a lockdown like in April, Polis, instead, asked people to cancel social plans and more strictly adhere to mask wearing, social distancing and handwashing.

He also suggested people cancel getting together for Thanksgiving. "Have Thanksgiving in February or March," when a vaccine is likely to be available, he said.

Polis called his statements Thursday an intervention, but issued no new public health directives.

Polis said Tuesday's election and devastating wildfires may have kept people from focusing on the resurgent coronavirus recently,

The virus has "taken second or third place" to those issues, he said, and "now is the time to return the focus to being responsible and having the resolve we need" to save lives in Colorado.

He also dismissed another "stay at home" order. Many counties are looking at additional mitigation steps, Polis said, but added that more people are catching the virus in the last few weeks than predicted by any model.

Dr. Rachel Herlihy, the state epidemiologist, said trends show cases among older age groups — those over the age of 40 — are increasing significantly, especially in the last few days. That translates into more hospitalizations, Herlihy said. Eventually, that will lead to more deaths in the coming days and weeks.

"There is more COVID-19 circulating in Colorado now than in the beginning of the pandemic," she said. "We see no signs" of it slowing or reaching a plateau, adding she believes this trend will continue into the near future. "We are moving in the wrong direction."

The situation is deteriorating quickly, Polis said. "We need to live in November like we did in August," after the second wave had peaked.

Polis, who recently met with Dr. Deborah Birx, the coronavirus response coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force. Polis quoted Birx, who said, "We are entering the most concerning and most deadly phase of the pandemic."

"We are going to do our part as a state." Polis said."

[Vision67]

Gov. Polis on COVID: ‘Colorado, I love you, but this is an intervention. Cancel your social plans’

https://www.kktv.com/2020/11/05/gov-...al-gatherings/

"On Thursday, the governor and the state’s top epidemiologist had some daunting words for our state if people don’t change their ways soon.

“On our current trajectory, we are projected to exceed our ICU capacity in late December," state epidemiologist Rachel Herlihy explained. "When we reach that threshold, that means our hospitals have to surge or operate at crisis standards of care.”

Not only that, but on Thursday Colorado had the most daily cases, more than 3,000, and most hospitalizations, 894, since the pandemic started.

Counties across Colorado are seeing a surge.

“This is the most concerning and deadliest phase of the pandemic,” Gov. Polis added, recalling another conversation he had with a state expert recently."

[daprara]

how did Colorado and Denver recently do so bad on thier covid situaiton?

a neighbor was in CA for a week and said they were doing well? The infection numbers were low.

everyone has schools, universities, sports etc to spread the desease.

[roodd279]

Not sure what you're asking but -



Colorado had simply not yet had their "situation" yet. No location (population center) will get out unscathed.


Most population centers are headed for 500 or 600 deaths per million, or more, and until recently, Colorado was 20% low, and holding steady. Then school started.



A 2-3% increase in cases is a big deal - and it's reflected in the increase in deaths - which lag cases, so you can expect that part will be worse a few weeks from now. Right now, deaths are approaching 1% (increase) per day - and rising.


For comparison - back in The Day - (spring) "bad" places routinely had 5% increases (per day) - so this is (so far) nothing like that.

[looker009]

Originally Posted by Vision67

Gov. Polis on COVID: ‘Colorado, I love you, but this is an intervention. Cancel your social plans’

https://www.kktv.com/2020/11/05/gov-...al-gatherings/

"On Thursday, the governor and the state’s top epidemiologist had some daunting words for our state if people don’t change their ways soon.

“On our current trajectory, we are projected to exceed our ICU capacity in late December," state epidemiologist Rachel Herlihy explained. "When we reach that threshold, that means our hospitals have to surge or operate at crisis standards of care.”

Not only that, but on Thursday Colorado had the most daily cases, more than 3,000, and most hospitalizations, 894, since the pandemic started.

Counties across Colorado are seeing a surge.

“This is the most concerning and deadliest phase of the pandemic,” Gov. Polis added, recalling another conversation he had with a state expert recently."

Most people will ignore that .

[BarryK123]

Originally Posted by looker009

Most people will ignore that .

Many people will get sick.
Some people will die.