Posted on 03/29/2020 6:07:27 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
SANTA FE, N.M. - As the coronavirus rages across the United States, mainly in large urban areas, more than a third of U.S. counties have yet to report a single positive test result for COVID-19 infections, an analysis by The Associated Press shows.
Data compiled by John Hopkins University shows that 1,297 counties have no confirmed cases of COVID-19 out of 3,142 counties nationwide. Of the counties without positive tests, 85% are in rural areas - from predominantly white communities in Appalachia and the Great Plains to majority Hispanic and Native American stretches of the American Southwest - that generally have less everyday contact between people that can help transmit the virus.
At the same time, counties with zero positive tests for COVID-19 have a higher median age and higher proportion of people older than 60 - the most vulnerable to severe effects of the virus - and far fewer intensive care beds should they fall sick. Median household income is lower too, potentially limiting health care options.
“They’ll be later to get the infection, they’ll be later to have their epidemics,” said Christine K. Johnson, a professor of epidemiology at the University of California, Davis. “But I don’t think they’re going to be protected because there’s nowhere in the U.S. that’s isolated.”
“I hope the zeros are really zeros -- I worry that they’re not doing enough testing in those regions because they’re not thinking they’re at risk,” she said.
“It’s a fundamental unknown,” said Benjamin Neuman, a virologist at Texas A&M University. “I think there is some truth to that notion that there are lower infection rates out there”.
He said he fears for homeless populations and undocumented migrants.
¨We hope they stay safe. Those would be hard places to get rid of the coronavirus,¨ Neuman said.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
Flyover county is starting to look pretty good to all the elite city dwellers.
Yes I think just safeguarding those at risk would have accomplished what normal people want. IMO the cure is worse than the disease but it is victory for the left.
Our betters, woke urbanites, are putting their lives on the line to save us from climate change. We social distance alone in our cars while they get up close and personal in their mass transit. I feel so guilty. Hard decisions for the left, die of Trump flu or buy a car and kill the world.
Our county gets an F for social distancing using miles traveled but we have 3000 square miles in our county and can do a lot of things with no social contact.
Most of the cases in Georgia are around the Atlanta area... with one hot spot area in the southwest(Albany).
My large middle Ga county(Houston, home of RAFB) has only 8 confirmed cases.
In TN, my sister’s county(Knox) has 20 confirmed cases. She’s in a suburb just outside of Knoxville(Farragut).
S truly hard decision indeed. :)
A lot of these rural counties have only limited hospital facilities. Most patients with serious conditions are transferred to bigger hospitals in more urban areas, and so a Coronavirus patient may be counted in the more urban area instead of their home country.
Ours in TN just 39 miles from Memphis is middle class, homes still going up. We have 1 case, someone from Memphis. Which has about 140.
We got hit with a long thin line of Tornadoes from Mississippi Ark. to Dyersburg, TN last night, lots of damage, photos https://www.wmcactionnews5.com/2020/03/29/twister-leaves-extensive-damage-after-ripping-through-jonesboro-ark/?fbclid=IwAR2eSIEBxIH5qCpyeBBRBqvjLFBU0v3b5RPx6d809bK7IXt1_He_DqhV0zQ
Good Lord, we need industry have none. Kroger’s is the largest employer.
Thanks. My mother is in a nursing facility with alzheimers. She’s 82. They are on total lockdown — no visitors. Nursing aids wearing protective gear. So far zero cases. If 1 slips through it’ll go through that place like a scythe I fear.
I’ve been tracking the infection by county here in WV. There are three concentrations.
1) The eastern-most counties surrounded by MD and VA (basically the outskirts of DC)
2) The counties that border the SW corner of PA (basically the outskirts of Pittsburgh)
3) The counties from N to S along I-77.
I’m sure the rest of us will eventually get it, but it’s interesting where it is now.
Ours was until travelers/tourists brought it in.
Tourists are out partying this weekend. Touching our gas pump handles, shopping our grocery store, coughing at our drive thru restaurant windows and infecting weekend rentals and the housekeepers.
We’re in Montgomery County (PA). We adjoin Philadelphia to the north. We’ve been under “Remain in Place” orders on a county-by-county basis for the last 2 weeks. Unfortunately it looks like NJ & NY are spinning out of control. I don’t see the governor taking the brakes off here until the neigboring states get under control.
Lehigh, Northampton & Monroe Counties just went on lockdown. What they have in common is a significant number of resident/commuters that work in the NY/NNJ. So there in the same boat.
One of the dumbest articles, claiming wealth has an influence on a virus.
IKR? All those wealthy Chinese.
Anyway, any area where there is not a lot of population is not going to be affected, duh.
But the rats bastid governments will still shut them us all down.
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