Coronavirus update, July 22: Stanislaus deaths at 73. Hospital workers talk of stress
Here is the latest on the coronavirus outbreak from in and around Modesto and Stanislaus County.
Latest facts on COVID-19 testing in Modesto area
Stanislaus County announced Tuesday that two more residents have died from the virus, raising the total to 73. Detail on the most recent deaths were not available.
The last eight days have brought 22 deaths, the county’s online update said.
Positive tests in Stanislaus County increased to 6,835 as of Tuesday, when 327 more – a single-day high – were reported. Another 45,062 residents have tested negative, and 3,130 are presumed to have recovered.
Tuesday’s positivity rate of 27.97% was about double the 13.42% on Monday and in line with the high figures of last week. The infection rate since the county started documenting data was 13.2% on Tuesday, up from 12.8% on Monday.
The rolling 14-day rate of infection stood at 21.93% as of Tuesday, compared with 21.13% the day before. The rolling seven-day rate of infection was 25.87% on Tuesday, up from 24.02% on Monday.
The number of hospitalizations was 210 on Tuesday, up from 209 on Monday. Among the five county hospitals, 34% of total beds are available, as are 23% of intensive care unit beds (only 1.7% of them for adults) and 65% of ventilators. Adult ICU beds had dropped to zero percent Monday.
Of those who tested positive, 55% are female and 45% male. Fourteen percent are 20 or younger, 20% are 21 to 30, 19% are 31 to 40, 17% are 41 to 50, 14% are 51 to 60, 7% are 61 to 70, 4% are 71 to 80, 4% are 81 to 90, and 2% are older than 90.
Though they make up 47 percent of the population, Latinos represented 73 percent of the positive cases.
Modesto has 2,346 positive cases, 869 are in Ceres, 835 are in Turlock, 294 are in Patterson, 286 are in Riverbank,
136 are in Oakdale, 125 are in Waterford, 91 are in Newman, and 67 are in Hughson. Of the cases in unincorporated areas, 449 are in supervisorial District 5, 422 are in District 3, which includes Salida, 263 are in District 2, 122 are in District 1, and 38 are in District 4.
- San Joaquin County has 95 COVID-19-related deaths among 8,799 cases.
- Merced County has 22 deaths among 2,813 cases.
- Tuolumne County has 104 positive cases and zero deaths.
- Mariposa County has 41 positive cases and one death.
As of Wednesday morning, there were 409,382 confirmed cases in California and 7,890 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. There were 3,902,233 U.S. cases and 142,073 deaths.
Here is the state tracker.
Stress on hospital front lines
Dr. Auro Reddy never dreamt of dealing with a contagious disease outbreak of these dimensions when he was admitted to the family practice medicine residency program in Stanislaus County. Read Ken Carlson’s story.
Stanislaus County leaders continue to fall short on messaging
Stanislaus County Supervisor Kristin Olsen ignored a dramatic death toll and zero occupancy in ICU beds to concentrate on nail and hair salons in a video address to the public. Read the Editorial Board’s take.
Pandemic aggravates ‘summer slide’ for students
Parents, volunteers, librarians, and the whole community need to partner to fight “summer slide,” when students lose up to three months of learning before the school year starts. Read the piece by Rochele Roura-Foster and Anne Britton.
Lots of questions as distance learning resumes
How will students and teachers be held accountable during distance learning? Will kids have to sit for hours on end in front of their computer screens? How will students and parents know to use the learning devices sent home? Read Deke Farrow’s story.
Teachers, parents speak up
Hand-in-hand with the issue of distance learning is the question of the circumstances under which schools can reopen for in-person learning. Read Deke Farrow’s story.
No surprise: Prep sports postponed
High school sports in California received a dramatic, and largely expected, change on Monday when the CIF announced sports would not start until late December and, in the case of football, January. Read Julian A. Lopez’s story.
Turlock man continues to recover from coronavirus
As the coronavirus pandemic has progressed, doctors are learning more about the complexity of symptoms, acute and long-term, caused by the novel coronavirus. A Turlock, California, survivor talks about his recovery. See ChrisAnna Mink’s story.
More enforcement needed from Stanislaus County
Stanislaus County supervisors must reverse their misguided May 12 coronavirus directive absolving businesses of responsibility for following COVID rules. See the Opinion piece.
Around California, United States and world
Schools and businesses closed, and many cities required people to wear face masks to slow the spread of the devastating influenza outbreak of 1918. And back then, just like today, some people balked at the idea of the government telling them what to do. Read the story.
People are staying home more and going out less, which helps explain why crime rates have mostly declined across the U.S. during the coronavirus pandemic, according to research from the University of Pennsylvania. Read the story.
President Donald Trump said he has “no problem” wearing a mask, carries one with him and wears it when riding in elevators with Secret Service agents to protect them. Read the story.
