COVID-19 Update May 24 – Bonnie4Salem

COVID-19 Update May 24

Salem Total: 226 confirmed cases, 76 cases per 10,000 residents

Salem Today: -1 new cases (???), 72 active cases.

*** TODAY’s SPOTLIGHT

* Globally: 5,400,608 cases; 344,760 deaths

* US: 1,677,436 cases; 98,024 deaths

* In 3 months, COVID-19 has killed significantly more Americans than the Vietnam War, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Iraq War, and the War in Afghanistan … combined.

* The number of persons being monitored in NH has risen by 500 from last Sunday to today.

* Merrimack NH now has more than 50 confirmed cases

* DHHS is reporting that Salem’s total number of confirmed cases is one less than they reported yesterday.

*** CONFIRMED CASES IN NH:

* New positive cases per DHHS: 63

* My new positive cases (Total of today’s cases minus yesterday’s total): 60

* Children under 18 in new cases: 1

* Total positive cases in NH: 4,149

• Percentage of tests that are positive: 3.25%

* Active cases: 1,736

* Percentage of positive cases that are still active: 41.8%

* New cases in Rockingham County: 5

* Total cases in Rockingham County: 1,123

* Percent of all cases from either Hillsborough County or Rockingham County: 80%

* New negative cases in NH: 1,787

* Total negative cases in NH (as reported by DHHS): 57,237

* Total tests results reported today (Positive results plus negative results): 1,847

* Daily average of diagnostic (PCR) tests from 7 days ago to today: 1,702

*** RECOVERED IN NH:

* Announced today: 7

* Total: 2,204

* Percentage of diagnosed cases that have recovered: 53.1%

*** HOSPITALIZATIONS IN NH:

* New: 0

* Current: 92

* Total: 419

* Percentage of all confirmed cases that have been hospitalized: 10.1%

* Percentage of those who have been hospitalized that are still in the hospital: 22%

*** DEATHS IN NH:

* Lives lost today: 1

* Lives lost for people over 60 years of age today: 1

* Total fatalities in NH associated with COVID-19: 209

* NH Residents diagnosed with COVID-19 that died: 5%

* NH Residents hospitalized with COVID-19 that died: 49.9%

* Persons over 60 years of age who died today: 1 female

* Lives lost in Rockingham: 0

We must not forget that these are all someone’s husband or wife, mother or father, sister or brother, sibling or friend.

Key points covered below in today’s report:

* Contact Tracing 101: #TestAndTrace

* From Camping To Dining Out: Here’s How Experts Rate The Risks Of 14 Summer Activities

Yesterday I tried a new format and asked for your feedback. Thanks to all of those who voted in favor of the new format. I’m glad you like it. It’s earlier for me, and easier for you. I love win-wins!

Stay safe, and always, be kind.

~Bonnie

Click on the calendar to enlarge
https://www.bonnie4salem.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/may24-calendar.jpg

Q: How much testing is NH doing in comparison to our neighboring states?

A: We aren’t doing enough tests!
WHY???

On April 19, this was posted on Facebook:

NHPR has charts. Lots of charts!
If you want more than what I’m providing, they can be found at NHPR’s website.

COVID Symptom Tracker: This is a project of Mass General Hospital. In the absence of proper testing, this may be the best way of tracking how we are doing. I’m keeping it near the top, so I’ll remember to log in each day.
https://covid.joinzoe.com/us?fbclid=IwAR2IsoxZ9RBKC4uPQscKiuUUTJCA3cCt3dUr9tjNSsFqOU1rv10jmysmt4Y

Today’s COVID-19 Statistics:

Salem’s confirmed cases:

March 30 (Range 10-19)
March 31 (Range 20+)
April 3: 25 cases (Range 20+)
April 6: 33 cases (+8 in 3 days)
April 8: 20+ cases
April 9: 20-49
April 10: Over 50
April 23: 116
April 27: 144
April 28: 143 (Huh? Less than yesterday? Triple checked!)
April 30: 146
May 1: 154
May 2: 162
May 3: 173
May 4-5: 175
May 6: 178; 94 active
May 7: 186; 101 active
May 8: 189; 103 active
May 9: 191; 101 active
May 10: 191; 100 active
May 11: 193; 102 active
May 12: 195; 103 active
May 13: 197; 104 active
May 14: 201; 108 active
May 15: 206; 112 active
May 16: 211; 117 active
May 17: 211; 116 active
May 18: 212; 117 active
May 19: 213; 118 active
May 20: 218; 116 active
May 21: 220; 86 active
May 22: 225; 77 active
May 23: 227; 74 active
May 24: 226???; 76 active

NH Hot Spots (As of Saturday, May 24. The increase is from last Saturday, May 16.)
NH has 13 NH municipalities that have more than 50 confirmed cases.

Manchester: 1000 (+149); 89 per 10K residents; 460 current
Nashua: 469 (370); 47 per 10K residents; 126 current
Derry: 298; (+31); 89 cases per 10K residents; 154 current
Salem: 227 (+16); 77 cases per 10K residents; 74 current

Bedford: 168 (+38); 74 cases per 10K; 84 current
Concord: 88 (+10); 20 cases per 10K; 37 current
Dover: 92 (+3); 29 cases per 10K; 14 current
Franklin: 61 (+3); 70 cases per 10K; 44 current
Goffstown: 87 (+20); 48 cases per 10K; 61 current
Hooksett: 51 (new to list since last week); 35 cases per 10K; 28 current
Hudson: 78 (+8); 31 cases per 10K; 32 current
Londonderry: 122 (+18); 46 cases per 10K; 43 current
Milford: 84 (+8); 52 cases per 10K; 31 current
Pelham: 51 (new to list since last week); 36 cases per 10K; 15 current
Portsmouth: 59 (+2); 26 cases per 10K; 21 current
Rochester: 51 (new to the list since last week) 16 cases per 10K; 24 current

All other municipalities have less than 50 cases. All of the other municipalities with 20-49 cases are geographically south of Concord/Rochester, and east of Concord/Milford, except for Franklin.

Counties (As of Sat., May 16. Increases from last Saturday, May 9.)

Hillsborough (inc. Manchester and Nashua): 2,049 (+326); 49 per 10K residents
Rockingham (inc. Salem & Derry): 1,218 (+131); 39 per 10K

About 80% of all of those in NH who have tested positive to COVID-19 live in these two counties.

Our neighboring towns:

Methuen on May 22: 777 (+75 from May 16); 168 confirmed cases per 10K residents. 496 recovered (+120). 45 deaths (+8)
Lawrence on May 22: 2,756 (+492 from May 15). 340 cases per 10K residents. 112 deaths (+13)
Haverhill on May 20: 1066 cases (up 116 from May 13). 166 cases per 10K

If more people were tested, the numbers would be higher.
Without better testing and reporting, we can’t know what our real numbers are.

We need proper testing to fight COVID-19

The NH Division of Public Health Services, Bureau of Infectious Disease Control, has announced a Weekly Summary Report, with more details than are provided in the daily reports from the Department of Health & Human Services. Today, May 7 the NH DHHS has issued its “weekly” report for the week ending May 4. [This is the first weekly report since the week ending April 27, which was issued the same day.].

As of May 4, 713 healthcare workers have been infected (27.6% of all confirmed cases). 24 of the medical care workers were hospitalized; one died.

More women have tested positive than men by about 11%. However, approximately 60% of the hospitalizations and 60% of the deaths are men.

18 kids under 9 years have tested positive. 19% of those infected are 50-59 years old, the largest age group. Those who are 30-39, 40-49, and 60-69 are each 13-14% of the cases. 20% of the confirmed cases are 70 or older, however, these age groups make up almost 40% of the cases, and 85% of the deaths.

Race/Ethnicity: Although 90% of NH’s population is white; they only account for 76.4% of the confirmed infections, 82% of the hospitalizations, and 91.5% of the deaths. Hispanic/Latino make up 3.9% of the population, but 7.4% of the infections, 7.8% of the hospitalizations, and 6.8% of the deaths. Blacks/African Americans are 1.4% of the population, and 5.4% of the infections, 3.7% of hospitalizations, and 1.7% of the deaths. Asians are 3.0% of the population, and 4.1% of the cases; no Asians from NH have died. All other races are 1.8% of the population, and 7.7% of the population, 2.4% of hospitalizations, and 1.7% of deaths.

Persons in Hillsborough County, including Manchester and Nashua, make up 44.7% of all infections, 46.5% of hospitalizations, and 46.5% of the deaths. Persons in Rockingham County (Salem and Derry) make up 33.9% of the total infections, 31.1% of the hospitalizations, and 32.6% of all deaths. The third most impacted county is Merrimack (Concord), which only has 7.7% of all infections.

NH News relating to COVID-19

Contact Tracing 101: #TestAndTrace

What States Are Ready To Test and Trace Today? Thanks to Mindi Messmer, @Mindi4NH, for calling attention to this website which is updated daily around 6:30 pm ET. Grading is based upon the metrics that have proven to be successful for Test & Trace: Enough testing capabilities so that <3% of tests are positive and 5-15 contact tracers per daily positive case.

Overall Grading Scale: Conducted on a 6 point scale with a 6/6 meaning that a state meets the necessary testing availability and tracing team size benchmarks to successfully test and trace.

NH’s Overall Total Grade: 2/6 (33 states scored better than NH)

% of Tests Are Positive (7-day Average): 3.71 (33 states score better)
Contact Tracers / Daily Positive Tests (7-Day Avg): 1 (17 states score better)
# of Contact Tracers: 70 (39 states score better)
Daily Tests (7-Day Avg): 2,409 (34 states score better)
Contact Tracers / 100k Population: 5 (30 states score better)
Planned Number of Tracers: 70 (45 states score better)
# Contact Tracers Needed: 446 (38 states need more)
Have Enough Contact Tracers? Short 376. (14 states are better off than NH; only seven states have enough.)

That being said, it is hard to know how accurate this information is.

NH has had a number of irregularities in the numbers that they have reported. Including in those irregularities, they were reporting negative test numbers as a combination of the diagnostic test results plus the antibody test results. There is a question as to how many total diagnostic tests have been done, as these numbers were never corrected.

The Governor and/or his team have said that they are training National Guards to do contact tracing, and would be doubling or tripling the number of contract tracers. Are they part of the current 70? The National Guard’s assistance in the COVID-19 pandemic will end June 24, unless President Trump extends the deployment. Things could soon get worse here in the Granite State.

From Camping To Dining Out: Here’s How Experts Rate The Risks Of 14 Summer Activities

It has been around two months of quarantine for many of us. The urge to get out and enjoy the summer is real. But what’s safe? We asked a panel of infectious disease and public health experts to rate the risk of summer activities, from backyard gatherings to a day at the pool to sharing a vacation house with another household. Read more.

Salem Government

The Town of Salem’s Emergency Operations Center Team (EOC) will be making weekly reports most Monday evening at 7:00. Their reports can be seen at http://sctv-17.com/CablecastPublicSite/?channel=1

Find other Salem Government board meetings: https://www.townofsalemnh.org/boards

To watch past or live viewings:

Comcast TV Channel 23

http://sctv-17.com/CablecastPublicSite/?channel=1

https://livestream.com/salemnh

https://www.facebook.com/sctv17

State Representation:
Salem has nine State Representatives. If you are having issues connected to COVID-19, they have access to the people who can get you the help you need. You can find contact info for our reps here: http://gencourt.state.nh.us/house/members/default.aspx

Our Senator, Chuck Morse, can be contacted at Chuck.Morse@leg.state.nh.us His Concord office phone is 603.271.3207.

Disclaimer:

NH scientist and politician, Mindi Messmer, PG, CG wrote on her Facebook page: “… The testing penetration is so low in NH … I don’t want to give the false impression that we know what’s going on in NH.”

I’ll add to that by sharing that my numbers are computed based on reports from NH Department of Human Services, and, on way too many occasions, their numbers simply don’t make sense. , but have had no response. They have been told that there are several times that they have had obvious errors, and I’ve asked for clarification, but I’ve had no response. I do not know how much we can trust these numbers, and how much we can rely on decisions based on statistics riddled with errors.

On April 8, the National Academy of Sciences reported that 16 out of 51 tests were inaccurate. (false negatives). Others also have concerns about both false negatives and false positives.

Please keep these ideas in mind as you review the information on this page or any other page.

Resources to help in these challenging times:

Have Questions?

NH residents can dial the state’s COVID-19 hotline at 2-1-1 or 603-271-4496 for answers to questions related to the outbreak and to be directed to available resources for help.

Do YOU think you have COVID-19?

To report suspected cases, contact the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control at 603-271-4496, (603-271-5300 for after hours), or nhbidc@dhhs.nhs.gov.

The IRS has released its new app to track stimulus payments, “Get My Payment .” which had been scheduled to be released on April 17. Expect to wait. (And possibly, like me, be disappointed.) If your info isn’t available today, try again tomorrow, as info is going to be updated every night.

Resource Compilations:

From Congresswoman Annie Kuster: A list of many resources, including Keeping Safe from COVID-19; New Hampshire Specific COVID-19 Information; Direct Payment to Granite Staters (Economic Impact Payments); Support for Small Businesses; Unemployment Assistance; Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Survivors; Student Loans; Taxes; Traveling Internationally; Veterans. https://kuster.house.gov/covid-19

Mental Health Resources, compiled by Jan Schmidt, Alderman and State Rep in Nashua. http://janschmidt4ward1.com/uncategorized/free-online-meetings-and-virtual-platforms/

How You Can Help Others:

Stay home, wash hands, wear cloth masks in public, check on neighbors

Donate food: NH Food Bank: https://www.nhfoodbank.org or call 669-9725

United Way: http://uwnh.org

Donate blood: https://www.redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-Cross

COVID-19 Response in New Hampshire: https://volunteernh.org/covid-19-response/

Watch out for the kids. Child abuse reports are down, because they aren’t out where they can be observed. If you suspect child abuse call Salem Police Department (603) 893-1911 or the NH child abuse hotline at DCYF (800) 894-5533. You could also go to https://knowandtell.org. In an immediate emergency, dial 911. DHHS has offered a sheet, “Supporting Child and Family Wellbeing during the COVID-19 Emergency:” https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dcyf/documents/family-wellbeing-during-covid-19.pdf

Masks:

There is no excuse for not having a mask!!!

How to make and how to wear: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html

Directions for a no-sew mask (perhaps using the coffee filter, as suggested by the CDC?) http://blog.japanesecreations.com/no-sew-face-mask-with-handkerchief-and-hair-tie

I found another option for a new pattern for a no-sew mask, using a t-shirt, and this one with several options.

Mask materials: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/best-coronavirus-face-mask-materials-new-study_l_5e99b576c5b6a92100e63129

A tip on how to make any mask (except N95) more efficient. https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/04/22/840146830/adding-a-nylon-stocking-layer-could-boost-protection-from-cloth-masks-study-find

I found another good mask video, although I believe that coffee filters are not being recommended any more; they make breathing too hard. It is now in the resource section at the bottom of every report.https://nbclim-f.akamaihd.net/i/Prod/NBCU_LM_VMS/635/99/DIT_20OTS_20NAT_20FEAT_20GIAT_20DIY_20FACE_20MASKS_20040520_20JD_20REV_202_20with_20L3__,935446,886827,037719,116849,460519,061449,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8

Salem:

Free meals for Salem kids under 18: https://sau57.org/covid19/meals

Town of Salem COVID-29 Info: https://www.townofsalemnh.org/home/covid-19-information

COVID-19 Salem Community Hotline & Email: https://www.townofsalemnh.org/home/news/covid-19-community-hotline-and-email

Salem Police: Dial 911 for emergencies or (603) 893-1911 for non-emergency issues.

New Hampshire:

New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services:

https://www.nh.gov/covid19/index.htm

https://www.nh.gov/covid19/faqs/documents/covid-19-faq.pdf

https://www.nh.gov/covid19/resources-guidance/index.htm

https://www.nh.gov/covid19/resources-guidance/other-guidance.htm

https://www.nh.gov/covid19/documents/terms.pdf

https://www.nh.gov/covid19/resources-guidance/residents.htm

Office of the Governor: https://www.governor.nh.gov

List of NH “essential” services: https://www.governor.nh.gov/news-media/emergency-orders/documents/emergency-order-17-ex-a.pdf

Mindi Messmer: A scientist who is reporting frequently on COVID-19, Mindi is also a candidate for Executive Council, District 3 (including Salem). https://www.facebook.com/Mindi4NH/ Sign up for her “Daily or So COVID-19 Updates” https://actionnetwork.org/forms/daily-or-so-covid-19-updates

More info about COVID-19

COVID-19: The CIDRAP Viewpoint. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/sites/default/files/public/downloads/cidrap-covid19-viewpoint-part1_0.pdfhttps://www.cidrap.umn.edu/sites/default/files/public/downloads/cidrap-covid19-viewpoint-part1_0.pdf

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/if-you-are-sick/care-for-someone.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/sick-with-2019-nCoV-fact-sheet.pdf

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/2019-ncov-factsheet.pdf

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html

COVID Symptom Tracker:
This is a project of Mass General Hospital. In the absence of proper testing, let’s let them know how we are doing. https://covid.joinzoe.com/us?fbclid=IwAR2IsoxZ9RBKC4uPQscKiuUUTJCA3cCt3dUr9tjNSsFqOU1rv10jmysmt4Y

Tuft’s University: COVID-19 Convalescent (Recovered) Patient Registry

Trackers (Cases)

COVI-19 Tracker: https://bing.com/covid/local/newhampshire_unitedstates

Live statistics: https://ncov2019.live/data

US Coronavirus Tracking https://infection2020.com

The COVID Tracking Project https://covidtracking.com/data/state/new-hampshire#historical

The World Health Organization:
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Media with NH COVID-19 news:

WMUR: https://www.wmur.com

NHPR: https://www.nhpr.org

Housing

NH landlords cannot start eviction proceedings for any tenant unable to pay due to the impact of the coronavirus. Foreclosures are also frozen. https://www.governor.nh.gov/news-media/emergency-orders/documents/emergency-order-4.pdf

Housing and Urban Development: https://www.hud.gov/states/new_hampshire

NH Housing: https://www.nhhfa.org