I have now been updating readers on how I’m doing, and how my city is doing, with this coronavirus for about two months now! That time has flown by.
Everyone in my immediate family continues to remain both physically and financially healthy. As for mental health, let’s just say that there is a reason that I often try to limit my news intake, even though I value the importance of knowing what’s going on in my city, state, country, and world.
As for how New York is doing, it’s…complicated.
Deaths continue to go down. It’s still horrifyingly high, but when you consider that the number of deaths per day was in the 700-800 range a few weeks ago, it’s a massive improvement that we now have some days when we have fewer than 200 COVID-19 deaths. Many of the other major indicators, such as hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions, continue to trend in the right direction. That being said, we are by no means out of the woods in New York City, and in fact we have more recently learned of the disturbing development that there’s an increasing number of cases of children experiencing symptoms similar to those of Kawasaki disease that is likely related to the coronavirus.[1] The children who receive this sickness seem to fall extremely ill, and several of them have died. This story just feels like a new twist in what has been an ordeal (with the coronavirus) that has gone through many twists.
You may be hearing stories about how parts of New York State will be starting to reopen (albeit, reopen carefully). New York City, which is where I am, is not one of those parts. In order for a region in New York to reopen again, that region must be in a satisfactory state with all seven of the following metrics: decline in total hospitalizations, decline in deaths, new hospitalizations, hospital bed capacity, ICU bed capacity, diagnostic testing capacity, and contact tracing capacity. New York City has only met four of these seven metrics, which means that no region of New York State has met fewer metrics than New York City (new hospitalizations are still too high, plus we don’t have enough hospital beds or ICU beds available).[2] Needless to say, it would not be surprising if New York City ends up being the last part of New York State to start reopening.
How are your areas doing? While today’s post definitely offers a mixed bag of news, I feel like I’m in a different world here as compared to other areas, in that the situation is slowly improving in New York City while it is regressing in parts of the United States, and some parts of the world.
[2] At the bottom of this piece from NBC New York, you get an explanation of the various metrics required to be met for reopening: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/new-york-nears-reopening-on-brink-of-another-grim-milestone-as-pandemics-tragic-scope-may-never-be-fully-understood/2414771/
Blind Injustice 
I’m glad you and your family remain healthy Brendan. It continues to look like NY is being very sensible in weighing the economic crisis with the health emergency. This complication with children is worrisome to say the least. Forbes reported about an hour ago that there are now at least 100 cases in NYC alone. That’s a 22% jump overnight. They’re saying it’s a delayed immune system response to the virus. If this is happening now when schools are closed, what’s going to happen when they reopen en masse as Mr. Trump is pushing for?
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Yeah, it seems like we’ve been sensible. Places that have the testing and the health care infrastructure to handle a potential surge are opening up. Places that don’t have those sorts of things aren’t opening up.
It is a worrisome complication with children, and it’s a weird mystery. It’s a mystery that we certainly should solve before opening up the schools again, as Mr. Trump wants.
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The CDC just issued a nationwide alert.
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A nationwide alert on the rare illness?
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Yes. They just issued it this evening. They’re calling it Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome.
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Hmmm. That’s good to know. Hopefully this won’t spread like wildfire…just as we thought the kids weren’t as vulnerable as many others, then there’s this COVID-related sickness.
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Reblogged this on By Hook Or By Book and commented:
Here’s Brendan’s weekly update on how NYC is doing. As you’ll see from his post, while the number of deaths continue to decrease, there a worrisome syndrome effecting children, that we all should be paying attention to.
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Thanks for the update, Brendan. The development about the children is frightening. I read something similar in the UK with the children. Stay safe and well.
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Yeah, it’s frightening, and the scariest thing is that it feels like so much about this particular illness is a mystery. Thankfully we’re not going back to in-person classes in New York yet.
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Thanks for the continued updates. I know here in Massachusetts we are following the same metrics as NY as we are in the regional pact, parts of the state will be opening up slowly on monday? but I do not think Boston is included in it.
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Yeah, I’m so consumed by the situation in New York that I’m not sure how Massachusetts is. If Governor Baker is handling things like Governor Cuomo, then reopening will happen in phases based on which regions have met all the important metrics.
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Watched at least part of his news conference today. There does seem to be stages but it seems to be based on type of businesses etc. Boston will have it’s own set of rules and that isn’t even happening until at least june 1.
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Yep, it’s the same sort of thing in New York–it depends on the type of business, etc. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that the approach is similar in Massachusetts, as I think they’re in the same regional group as New York.
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we are and the measured considered response to opening up has me a little hopeful.
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I am so glad you are well. Our governor Sununu (a Republican of whom I have never approved) is being uncharacteristically cautious not being influenced by protesters with guns. The virus scares me a lot and the anti-mask violence scares me even more.
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Yeah…people are carrying guns as well in protest of various regulations…yeesh. I’m glad your governor is being sensible about the handling of this pandemic.
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