Thread by @DavidLat

THREAD. A few highlights from and thoughts on this interesting @nytimes article, "U.S. Coronavirus Cases Are Rising Sharply, but Deaths Are Still Down."

nyti.ms/38sDEzT

#COVID #COVIDー19 #COVID19 #coronavirus

"After a minor late-spring lull, the number of confirmed #coronavirus cases in the United States is once again on the rise.... And yet the virus appears to be killing fewer of the people it infects."

"In April and May, #COVID19 led to as many as 3,000 deaths per day, and claimed the lives of roughly 7-8% of Americans known to have been infected. The number of daily deaths is now closer to 600, and the death rate is less than 5%."

I take #COVID19 with the utmost seriousness, having almost died from it - but I do think the drop in deaths is a significant, positive development that probably merits more news coverage than it has gotten.

#coronavirus #COVID #Covid_19

It's inaccurate to say the increase in #coronavirus cases is entirely due to increased testing (as some #COVID19 deniers claim), but it IS a contributing factor: 600K+ tests are administered daily in the U.S., up from about 100K in early spring.

So the increase in confirmed #COVID19 cases from increased testing is one factor driving down the death rate.

Two other factors: better treatment, and a shift in who's getting infected by #coronavirus (more younger people, who are less likely to die).

But there are some caveats.

First, deaths tend to lag behind infection by two to four weeks, so it's quite possible that we are not yet seeing the full effect of increased #coronavirus cases on #COVID19 mortality.

Second, as states reopen and as people become less vigilant, "those with milder infections might end up ferrying the pathogen to vulnerable individuals." (Those partying young people have parents and grandparents.)

#COVID #COVID19 #COVID_19 #coronavirus

Finally, not dying from #COVID19 ≠ living happily ever after. Many who survive #COVID continue to suffer serious symptoms or after effects for weeks or even months after testing negative or supposedly "recovering."

#coronavirus #Covid_19

Take @AdamMPerry. The Broadway actor still struggles with #COVID19 symptoms or after effects, including difficulty breathing, more than three months after he first came down with #coronavirus in March.

cnn.it/2ArkbDd

Or @DaniOliver. She got #COVID19 in March, but to this day still experiences severe respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological symptoms (and more, described in this thread:

https://twitter.com/DaniOliver/status/1279155358666305541

).

My bottom line:

1. The declines in #COVID19 deaths and the #COVID death rate are good news and deserve more attention than they're getting.

2. The #HealthcareHeroes who are contributing to this decrease in #COVID_19 mortality deserve praise and thanks.

3. But #COVID19 can still inflict a great deal of damage on people even if it doesn't kill them. So let's not become complacent about #coronavirus.

I have antibodies, but I still mostly #StayAtHome, #WearAMask when I do go out, and #WashHands constantly.