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Thursday US COVID News

Another grim milestone.

"The United States logged 14 million Covid-19 cases Wednesday
just hours after setting three grim records:
the highest number of daily deaths, new infections and hospitalizations since the pandemic began.”
The US seems to now be adding 1 million new COVID cases every 5 to 6 days.
After a lag, hospitalizations and deaths follow new infections.

"Dr Sanjay Gupta (chief medical correspondent) said that the US is “tracking just as badly” as it was during the 1918 influenza pandemic.
'We we also have better hospitalizations, ICUs, therapeutics, an ambulance system. And despite that, just if you look at the numbers, we are tracking just as badly as back then,' Gupta said. 'Which speaks to the fact that no matter how good we get scientifically, in terms of these therapeutics and all of the wonderful things that medicine can do, despite all that, human behavior is still sabotaging us.'”

“The United States set a record for the number of people hospitalized with Covid-19 on Thursday, according to the Covid Tracking Project (CTP).On Thursday, 100,667 people were hospitalized with Covid-19. This is the second consecutive day that the US has surpassed 100,000 current hospitalizations.” CNN

“Missouri hospitals are seeing record numbers of coronavirus patients in intensive care units.
Missouri “Gov. Mike Parson has been pinning the state's hopes on the rapid rollout of a vaccine. Parson, a Republican who ran on a platform of personal freedom as he cruised to victory on Nov. 4, has not issued a mask mandate or stay-at-home orders. The state hopes to get the vaccine to the general population by early May, 2021” St Louis Post Dispatch. First, most of us need to somehow survive the next 6 months.

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Photo taken today is of an aged Christmas Cactus…
With a bit of post processing, a sad mood fits. I don't like doing sad images. Unfortunately, the horrible news in this gallery lately doesn't correspond with happy or even neutral photos. For that reason, this gallery has become very difficult for me to add new photos each day. I feel compelled to record this time in history, but it's a painful time to record.

"Safe at home", I've fortunately been able to spend most of my time thinking and doing things that have nothing to do with the pandemic. Although maintaining social isolation hasn't been easy on the psyche, we are some of the lucky ones in these hard times. We've learned to adjust to our temporary "new normal". Our days are full and not unpleasant. We stay in touch with friends & family; even if currently at a distance. Hopefully by this time next year, what we knew as the "old" normal will have returned. No more pandemic reports. No more social isolation. No more fear of an unseen killer. I will again be go where I want. I will be able to safely hug my friends and family. And I will be able to go into a crowd of closely packed strangers without fear. Still, I won't forget. Now, I understand what my grandmother (who lived through the pandemic of 1918) meant when she talked about those dreadful times a century ago.

Check out my other galleries for my cheerful holiday photos.