Alaska COVID-19 Count - April 4, 2020 - 2 New Deaths, 1 New Hospitalization, 14 New Cases

The numbers on the new charts are squirrelly - yesterday there was a total of 147 confirmed cases and today it says 171.  But it says there are 13 new cases.  My math makes that 14 new cases.  The press release for today says 14 on the top and 13 on the bottom.

The total number of tests - looking at the cumulative table comes out to 6040.  But yesterday it was 6016 - and the new tests table shows 197 new tests.

We had gone five days without a new death, but we got two today, which is the most in one day.  The press release says the death was an Anchor Point man who acquired the virus and died Outside of Alaska.  Because he's an Alaska resident, he's counted in our statistics.  That may account for the two different counts of new cases.  That means there have only been 3 deaths from COVID-19 in the State of Alaska (another Alaskan death was also Outside).  The second death today was a woman in Fairbanks.

Also one new hospitalization.  (The State's hospitalization number is total, cumulative.  Not how many are in the hospital today.)

So the format is great, with lots of useful interactivity.  But the numbers don't add up right.  There was an understandable discrepancy when they changed the reporting time.  But that was a couple of days ago.

I've also found the State Data Hub which has a lot of explanation of the statistics.  For instance this explanation of how changing the data to match national standards means people are counted in their state of residency.  So Alaskans who contract the illness and die Outside are counted in Alaska.  Here's the explanation for another oddity in the count:

"Today you will see on the dashboard that 11 new cases are reported, but the cumulative count only increased by 10 cases since the non-resident case was removed."

So I'm tracking based on the number of total confirmed cases and figuring out the new cases based on the number of total cases the day before.
And I'm using the chart that shows the cumulative number of tests and not paying much attention to the chart that shows the tests by day.  That way I can stay consistent.

My calendar chart.

CONFIRMED COVID-19 CASES ALASKA MARCH/APRIL 2020
Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
new/total	hos=hospital		12th  = 0/0	13th = 1/1	14th = 0/1	15th = 0/1
16th = 0/1	17th = 2/3	18th = 3/6	19th = 3/9	20th = 3/12	21st= 2/14	22nd= 8/22
23rd=14/36	24th =6/42 1 hos 1 dead	25th = 17/59 3 hos 1 dead	26th = 10/69 3 hos 1 dead	27th =16/89 5 hos 2 dead	28th = 13/102 6 hos 2 dead	29th=12/114 7 hos  3 dead
30th=5/119 7 hos 3 dead	31st= 14/133 9 hos 3 dead
April 2020		1st=  10/143 9 hos 3 dead	2nd=8(6)/149 13 hos 3 dead	3rd=8(11)157 15 hos 3 dead	4th=14/171 16 hos 5 dead
				4/3 - State #s (11/157)don’t match yesterdays’       /149)
		Hospital and dead figures are total to date, not new on that date

Here's a screenshot of the state's numbers for today (for the record) and below I'll paste in the actual chart (which changes daily so you can't track what it said yesterday.)

If you click on the image it will enlarge and focus better.  The interactive version of this is below.  However, the one below changes everyday, so the one above is our 'archive' version for April 4.

*Cases depicted in the map above represent residency of the infected person, and may not reflect where the person was located when tested positive. For example, the case shown in Petersburg Borough represents an individual who had residency status in Petersburg but was not currently residing there at the time of infection.

My Running Chart by date and data

Alaska Covid-19 Data NewFor... by Steve on Scribd

After another overnight snow, today warmed up to what might be the warmest day of the year.  We went for a nice walk.  Most of the walk we didn't see others.  But around our neighborhood there were dog walkers and joggers, but all well away from us.

Alaska COVID-19 Count April 3, 2020 - Up To 159 Cases

My Calendar Chart

CONFIRMED COVID-19 CASES ALASKA MARCH/APRIL 2020
Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
new/total	hos=hospital		12th  = 0/0	13th = 1/1	14th = 0/1	15th = 0/1
16th = 0/1	17th = 2/3	18th = 3/6	19th = 3/9	20th = 3/12	21st= 2/14	22nd= 8/22
23rd=14/36	24th =6/42 1 hos 1 dead	25th = 17/59 3 hos 1 dead	26th = 10/69 3 hos 1 dead	27th =16/89 5 hos 2 dead	28th = 13/102 6 hos 2 dead	29th=12/114 7 hos  3 dead
30th=5/119 7 hos 3 dead	31st= 14/133 9 hos 3 dead
April 2020		1st=  10/143 9 hos 3 dead	2nd=8(6)/149 13 hos 3 dead	3rd=8(11)157 15 hos 3 dead
				4/3 - State #s (11/157)don’t match yesterdays /149)
		Hospital and dead figures are total to date, not new on that date

Yesterday there were 149 cases and today there are 157 for an increase of 8 cases.  But the State's page says there was an increase of 11.  I suspect they are still catching up from changing the time each day when they report.  But I'm going to report it as 8.  I put a note in the chart.  

Here's a screenshot of their chart. I just checked yesterday's post and the part I cut and pasted - with all the interactive parts - automatically updated to today's page.  So I need to keep the screenshots for the historical record.  For instance, yesterday's page says 149 cases and today's says 157.  That's NOT an increase of 11 cases.

This is a pretty high res image so if you click on the image above it will enlarge and focus.
But it won't be interactive.

 Like yesterday, it's going to overwhelm this page, but you can scroll right to see it all, just don't forget to scroll back left to see the rest of the post.  Also the interactive parts should work here again like they did yesterday.  You can also just go to the State page.   I'm putting these up here to be sure the record of each day's State posting is preserved for the public to see.  

The State has done a great job getting some these much more helpful  data visualizations up.  Be sure to check out the tabs which change the charts to offer different ways to see the data.  

*Cases depicted in the map above represent residency of the infected person, and may not reflect where the person was located when tested positive. For example, the case shown in Petersburg Borough represents an individual who had residency status in Petersburg but was not currently residing there at the time of infection.

My long term chart.

Alaska Covid-19 Data NewFor... by Steve on Scribd

I'm going to post this now, but will review it again after the Gov's press conference is over.

Delayed Spring And, Uh, Tiger King

Two or three more inches of snow overnight.

I'd love to get out the cross country skis, but I'm unsure of social distancing on the trails.  With everyone isolating, I suspect a fair number of folks will be out today.

But I did go for a walk in the neighborhood.  No people out - except two way off in the distance.  And there's lots of room to get out of the way - just walk into the street.



Meanwhile, I've had these two mystery seeds lying around.  I know we got them out of a seed pod in California with my granddaughter, but I don't remember what plant it was.

I planted them yesterday and maybe I'll find out what the plant was.

And our tuberous begonias popped out the other day.  I'd cut them back last spring and put the flower pot in the garage.  Didn't even ask the house sitter to water them.  Though when we were home, I watered them.  Wasn't sure they'd come back.

A good sign, especially since sprouting outside will be more like 25 years ago than in recent years.

Not sure how the time goes by so quickly - and my todo list gets checked off so slowly.  Partly, I think because of the unexpected things I end up doing and forgetting to look at the list.  J likes to go to the market generally, but since we're using the app to get home delivery, it falls to me.  Ugh.

And I have to admit it - we finally finished Tiger King last night on Netflix.  Sure, the producers spiced it up, but the overriding question for me is:  What does this tell us about people in the United States?  The animal collectors, the breeders, the PETA folks, the people who go to the private zoos?  The people who send in donations to 'save the tigers'?  I couldn't help thinking that Joe Exotic behaved exactly like our president in many ways, just in a different environment.  Apparently a lot of other folks watched it too.  If any of you readers have seen it, please tell me what you thought.  

I'd recommend The English Game for those with Netflix.  About the working class football teams that challenged the upper class football players in Great Britain in the late 1800s.

Alaska COVID-19 Count - State Offers Greatly Improved Way To See Numbers - 8 New Cases, 4 New Hospitalizations, No New Deaths [UPDATED]

[UPDATES, April 2, 2020, 8:30pm:  I've added some things in - most of which should be obvious because there in [brackets].  I've added a couple of links that aren't so obvious.]

The state has totally revamped how they report on COVID-19.  At the press conference today, Dr. Anne Zink was a superstar as she explained the new charts, why there are some discrepancies (they changed the daily reporting time, so today there is some overlap), gave info on COVID-19 and Alaska, and answered reporters' questions.  She's just incredible in her knowledge of what's all going on and her ability to unflappably and clearly explain things.  We are SO lucky to have her in charge of this.  And we're lucky our governor hands it all over to her and lets her talk without interrupting her.

I suspect I want to edit parts of this post.  Particularly the part I cut and pasted from the State site.  I just don't know how it's going to fit and work on here.  [It worked, actually.  You have to scroll to the right, but it's there and interactive.  Yeah.]

But for now I'm going to put this up and then have dinner.  Then I'll check back.

My calendar chart:

CONFIRMED COVID-19 CASES ALASKA MARCH/APRIL 2020
Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
new/total	hos=hospital		12th  = 0/0	13th = 1/1	14th = 0/1	15th = 0/1
16th = 0/1	17th = 2/3	18th = 3/6	19th = 3/9	20th = 3/12	21st= 2/14	22nd= 8/22
23rd=14/36	24th =6/42 1 hos 1 dead	25th = 17/59 3 hos 1 dead	26th = 10/69 3 hos 1 dead	27th =16/89 5 hos 2 dead	28th = 13/102 6 hos 2 dead	29th=12/114 7 hos  3 dead
30th=5/119 7 hos 3 dead	31st= 14/133 9 hos 3 dead
April 2020		1st=  10/143 9 hos 3 dead	2nd=8(4)/147 13 hos 3 dead
		Hospital and dead figures are total to date, not new on that date

Here's the new way the State is presenting the data.  I haven't had time to think hard about this new format.  It's easier to see the basics, and it shows parts of the state affected better.

But it has 8 new cases for a total of 147.  But yesterday it said we had 143 cases, so some of those eight may have been in yesterday's total of ten.  [Dr. Zink clarified that this discrepancy comes from changing the time they make daily reports, so there is some overlap in the numbers today and yesterday.  But it will clear up from now on.  I've adjusted my chart below.  I suspect that also explains the discrepancy in numbers of tests yesterday and today.]

The number of hospitalizations is clarified today as cumulative, not how many are hospitalized right now.

Dr. Zink is giving an overview on the Corona Virus in Alaska explaining this in details.  She's mentioned as serology test approved by the FDA today to see if people have had the virus and have anti-bodies. [That will be good for folks who couldn't get tested earlier and think they might have had the test.  And also for people who were asymptomatic.]

Alaska is in the top ten states for testing most per capita.  We're the state with the fewest number of identified cases.  [If you use the 147 number here that seems to be true, but if you use the 151 that was mentioned in the press conference we're behind Wyoming, which doesn't have any deaths.  See this chart - which keeps updating.]

If you click on this image, it will enlarge it and focus so you can read it better.
This page is INTERACTIVE, so you should go there and play with it.  I've copied it and pasted it below, to see if I could capture the interactivity.  But it looks like it will go way off the page.  I'll try and later I'll see if I can make adjustments.  But you can link to the original state page here.

[Warning - if the cursor is on the map below when you scroll down the page, the map enlarges.  Also, part of the State report below goes way over to the right.  If you scroll down and everything is blank, it means you have to move back over to the left.]

Alaska Coronavirus Response Hub

Last updated April 2, 2020, 12:00 PM AKDT

Updates will occur at approximately 12:00 PM AKDT daily

COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the novel coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown to the population before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. 

This page provides information, maps and resources about the coronavirus response in our local area.

To view the full screen dashboard seen above please visit this link.

Now here's my updated version of the chart I started March 12 and adjusted.

Alaska Covid-19 Data NewFor... by Steve on Scribd

[If you want to see why I'm so enthusiastic about Dr. Zink, you can watch today's press conference here.]

Alaska COVID-19 Count - April 1, 2020 - New Cases = 0; New Deaths=0; New Hospitalizations =0

The number of new cases is NOT going up at an ever increasing rate.  At least for now.  That's good.  No new deaths in four days.  No new hospitalizations since yesterday.

My calendar chart, we're in April now.

CONFIRMED COVID-19 CASES ALASKA MARCH/APRIL 2020
Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
new/total	hos=hospital		12th  = 0/0	13th = 1/1	14th = 0/1	15th = 0/1
16th = 0/1	17th = 2/3	18th = 3/6	19th = 3/9	20th = 3/12	21st= 2/14	22nd= 8/22
23rd=14/36	24th =6/42 1 hos 1 dead	25th = 17/59 3 hos 1 dead	26th = 10/69 3 hos 1 dead	27th =16/89 5 hos 2 dead	28th = 13/102 6 hos 2 dead	29th=12/114 7 hos  3 dead
30th=5/119 7 hos 3 dead	31st= 14/133 9 hos 3 dead
April 2020		1st=  10/143 9 hos 3 dead
		Hospital and dead figures are total to date, not new on that date

State's Charts from their website.

 The chart above gives a visual sense of where the positive cases are, but as more days are added it seems to get less and less useful, since the days get further and further from the Y axis and it's harder to calculate how many.  And each color is one lump, so you can't count that way.

Of course those details are in the chart below.  What the chart above adds is time, but the time is ambiguous - "date of onset, diagnosis, or report - whichever is earlier."  So, the announcements of 14 new positive cases, 1 new hospitalization, and one new death on March 29, that date has nothing in the chart above.

There were 419 new tests.  Remember, the last date for all these charts was yesterday.

Finally, my other chart.

Alaska Covid-19 Data NewFor... by Steve on Scribd

Dr. Zink said that tomorrow the State would put up some different ways of presenting this information.  Sounds good.