Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston: soccer, ice skating, how much)

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by sawyer2

A few contributing factors off the top of my head

- Colder weather
- More businesses returning to in-office
- Knock on effect from relaxed restrictions over the last few months
- Increase social/family gatherings (may be one of the greatest contributing factors to current spike)
- Increased apathy/weariness

The "small social gatherings" that we keep hearing about...sounds like an indirect way of saying college kids hanging out.

[BostonMike7]

Well, it was good while it lasted.


Back to the bunkers...

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by jtolpin

986 new cases

471 in RI.

MA population is more than 6 times the RI population.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by redplum33

The "small social gatherings" that we keep hearing about...sounds like an indirect way of saying college kids hanging out.

Well--I'm not so sure.

While I continue to work from home, a few of my colleagues have been going into the office. I was a bit shocked yesterday when one of them told me how he "grabbed a beer" with 5 other colleagues last week...and it was all indoors. This same colleague then went on to tell me how he was tired of COVID, and that he hoped it would come to an end after Election Day. Prior to this, he had not given any hint of being a COVID skeptic...in fact he had taken all the measures seriously.

[porterhouse]

Originally Posted by redplum33

The "small social gatherings" that we keep hearing about...sounds like an indirect way of saying college kids hanging out.

The college dashboards don’t reflect this. More likely post college 20-30 somethings feeling invincible and entitled.

[BostonMike7]

I wouldn’t point the finger exclusively at college kids as well. I have peers in the 30-39 group who are back to socializing on the weekends and having people over.

That’s where I based my previous joke that these same people are the same conplaining on social media about the possibility of schools being shut down again.

[wolfgang239]

An increase in cases should not surprise anyone, there were epidemiologists predicting this months ago. At some point many people lost focus of the goal to "flatten the curve" and prevent the overwhelming of our medical system until a viable treatment or vaccine was discovered.

“We will have a harder time controlling coronavirus in the fall ... and we will all be very tired of social distancing and other tactics. The hard thing will be to keep enough of it to protect our ICUs and keep the number of cases from flaring up,” he said.

Average age this week is 38. And based on my peers activities I can definitely understand why. Despite certain individuals repeating it over and over on here, still no evidence that college students are spreading it at any kind of alarming rate.

[BostonMike7]

It is a pretty flat climb

[msRB311]

I'm not surprised by the increase at all. This virus isn't going to disappear anytime soon.

[id77]

Originally Posted by wolfgang239

An increase in cases should not surprise anyone, there were epidemiologists predicting this months ago. At some point many people lost focus of the goal to "flatten the curve" and prevent the overwhelming of our medical system until a viable treatment or vaccine was discovered.

“We will have a harder time controlling coronavirus in the fall ... and we will all be very tired of social distancing and other tactics. The hard thing will be to keep enough of it to protect our ICUs and keep the number of cases from flaring up,” he said.

Average age this week is 38. And based on my peers activities I can definitely understand why. Despite certain individuals repeating it over and over on here, still no evidence that college students are spreading it at any kind of alarming rate.

Some of us are also pessimists and not skeptics. 40% of this country doesn't care about flattening the curve, so that curve isn't flattening. I'll protect myself with reasonable precautions, but social distancing will only become less effective over time.

Go ahead and shut down the schools, the kids will just find somewhere else to congregate. Shut down the restaurants, and the adults will find somewhere else to eat dinner together. Shut it all down and people will skirt the rules and find ways to get together.

Anyone who seriously thinks society can responsibly behave this thing back under control has been isolated so long they forgot how much our society repeatedly fails and disappoints.