Sunday, May 03, 2020

Alaska COVID-19 Count Sunday May 3 , 2020 - 3 New Cases


Just three new cases.  Two in Anchorage and one in Fairbanks.   That's not bad.  It's not going up exponentially and in fact it's mostly staying low this week.  For the first time since I've been looking, Alaska has the lowest Rt score in the nation.  It's related to the likelihood of having more or fewer cases.  I don't totally understand how it works (the numbers changed in ways that made no sense to me last week), but you can check it out for yourself here.

There was one more person listed as recovered.  The first four days this week 34 people were listed as recovered.  In the last three days this week only 8 people recovered.

Still some thin ice on Taku Lake
I'll offer my own anecdotal account this morning on the bike trail between 9:55 and 10: 45.


45 people
11 dogs
6  masks (not counting me)

This was about an 8 mile bike ride along Campbell Creek to Taku Lake.  I thought going in the morning would mean I'd have to pass by fewer people.  I didn't count the other night, but there must have been a lot more people than I thought given it seemed much emptier - especially going - than the other night.  I know people can say, well, just 3 new cases more today.  The odds are good.  But at the end of the ride I passed to men, no masks - 30s probably - walking abreast, so there wasn't much room to distance at all.  One guy waved, so there wasn't any hostility, but also no effort to get some distance between us.  I was tempted to stop to get a picture of one mask that covered the whole face in bright blue almost face painting patterns.  But there's a pandemic going on and I'm trying to minimize contact.


My Calendar Chart

CONFIRMED COVID-19 CASES ALASKA MARCH/APRIL/May 2020
MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday
new/totalhos=hospital

12th  = 0/013th = 1/114th = 0/115th = 0/1
16th = 0/117th = 2/318th = 3/619th = 3/920th = 3/1221st= 2/1422nd= 8/22
23rd=14/3624th =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
hos 3 dead
2nd=8(6)/149
13 hos 3 dead
3rd=8(11)157
15 hos 3 dead
4th=15/171
16 hos 5 dead
5th= 14/185
20 hos 6 dead
6th=6/191
23 hosp
6 dead
7th= 22/213
23 hosp 6 Dead29 recovered
8th= 13/226
27 hosp 7 dead
32 recovered
9th= 9/235
27 hosp 7 dead
49 recovered
10th=11/246
28 hosp 7 dead
55 recovered
11th=11/257
31 hosp 8 dead
63 recovered
12th= 15/272
31 hosp 8 dead
66 recovered
13th= 5/277
32 Hosp 8 dead
85 Recovered
14th = 8/285
32 Hosp 9 dead
98 Recovered
15th= 8/293
34 Hosp 9 dead
106 Recovered
16th= 7/300
35 hosp 9 dead
110 recovered
17th=  9/309
36 hosp 9 dead
128 recovered
18th =  5/315
36 hos 9 dead
147 Recovered
19th= 4/319
36 hos 9 dead
153Recovered
20th 2/321
36 hos 9 dead
161 recovered
21st 8/329
36 hos 9 dead
168 recovered
22nd  6/335
36 hos  dead
196recovered
23nd  2/337
36 hos  dead
209recovered
24th  2/339
36 hos  dead
208recovered (-1 from 4/23)
25th  0/339
36 hos  dead
217recovered
26th  2/341
36 hos  dead
217recovered
27th  4/345
37 hos  dead
218recovered
28th  6/351
37 hos  dead
228 recovered
29th  4/355
36 hos  dead
240recovered
30th  0/355
36 hos  dead
252recovered



May 2020



1st  9/364
36 hos  dead
254recovered
2nd  1/365
36 hos  dead
261recovered
3rd  3/368
36 hos  dead
262recovered




State Chart




This will get much bigger and clearer if you click on it.  For the original interactive charts, go to the State's website.


There were 177 new tests listed for yesterday for a total of 21,578.  When we get to 73,000 it will mean 10% of the population has been tested.


My Day-By-Day Chart









Below is an interesting chart from the State website.  It shows day-by-day new cases (blue is travel related, orange is local transmission, and grey is under investigation) and it also connects everything to the dates that different mandates were issued or loosened.  You can see it larger by clicking on it or going to the State site (and scrolling down. Then I had to click on another link because it was shaded.)  The state site does change daily so I don't know how long it will be there.





Saturday, May 02, 2020

Green Things From The Trees, Bushes, And The Ground


Spring has come to South Central Alaska.  Enjoying the wonders in our front and back yards.







Bleeding Heart.


Cottonwood leaf.  The sticky outside - leaf bud scales - fall off and stick to everything.  A good reason to take your shoes off before going inside.  The saving grace for me has always been their wonderful sweet scent.  But it appears they are much more useful than that.  From the Statesman Journal:

"Honeybees collect the resin from the spring leaf bud scales and take it back to their hives as an antimicrobial and sealant, called propolis. It is powerfully anti-microbial, inhibiting fungal and bacterial growth.
Pacific Northwest tribes and early Euroamerican settlers collected and used the bud scale resin as well. Infused into oil, the resin is known to help soothe swollen arthritic joints and sore muscles. Resin was used to waterproof boxes and baskets. The bark was made into buckets for storing and carrying food. The leaves, buds and bark of cottonwood were used to lower fevers and reduce inflammation and pain. Plant chemists isolated this analgesic compound and call it salacin; it is found in all cottonwoods and willows."




The daffodils are popping up.  The last couple of years only a few of the bulbs I planted came up.  This year I planted some with my granddaughter on Bainbridge Island over Thanksgiving and they were blooming by the beginning of March.  All them.  And it looks like the vast majority made it through the winter here and are coming up.








I thought this was kind of funny when I saw it on Carr's online order app.  I've been benefiting from our abundant back (and front) yard supply the last few summers.  Ours too have no artificial fertilizer or pesticides.  And they are starting to come up already.




When you see them in your yard, instead of cursing them, think:  $3.49 a bunch.  And remember they are full of vitamins and other health promoting properties.

Governor, oil has tanked, but we've got an endless renewable resource in dandelions.  And at $3.49 a bunch, they're probably more valuable than oil was when it was $60 a barrel.  And health food stores have all sorts of pricy dandelion products.  Here's a dandelion extract at $14 an ounce!

There's economic value all around us if we just have the right eyes.  But lets not value our flora and fauna only for their economic value.  They play an important role in keeping the earth vibrant and healthy.  If you haven't seen my post on The Overstory, I do recommend it.





High bush cranberry leaves are budding.



 Lillies.








Tulip buds are growing.











Wild geraniums.  From Common Sense Home:

"Early Native Americans [Is that as opposed to late Native Americans?] recognized the value of Wild Geranium and used it as an ingredient in many medicinal treatments. Chippewa Indians used dried, powdered rhizomes mixed with grape juice as a mouthwash for children with thrush. A poultice from the base or pounded roots of the plant was used to treat burns and hemorrhoids. The leaves and roots were used to treat sore throats, hemorrhages, gonorrhea, and cholera. Like many other tannin-containing substances, Native Americans also used Wild Geranium as an anti-diarrhea treatment. A plant- infused tea was made to achieve this purpose, though some sources say the tea could have had the opposite effect, causing constipation."


And we have visitors out for the summer too.

This fly was cleaning my breakfast plate out on the deck.




And I'm guessing this dead tree was sculpted by a woodpecker.  Dead trees often have more life than living trees.

Alaska COVID-19 Count Saturday May 2, 2020 - ONE New Cases

Only one new case.
Recoveries are more 2/3 of the total tested cases.


My Calendar Chart

CONFIRMED COVID-19 CASES ALASKA MARCH/APRIL 2020
MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday
new/totalhos=hospital

12th  = 0/013th = 1/114th = 0/115th = 0/1
16th = 0/117th = 2/318th = 3/619th = 3/920th = 3/1221st= 2/1422nd= 8/22
23rd=14/3624th =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
hos 3 dead
2nd=8(6)/149
13 hos 3 dead
3rd=8(11)157
15 hos 3 dead
4th=15/171
16 hos 5 dead
5th= 14/185
20 hos 6 dead
6th=6/191
23 hosp
6 dead
7th= 22/213
23 hosp 6 Dead29 recovered
8th= 13/226
27 hosp 7 dead
32 recovered
9th= 9/235
27 hosp 7 dead
49 recovered
10th=11/246
28 hosp 7 dead
55 recovered
11th=11/257
31 hosp 8 dead
63 recovered
12th= 15/272
31 hosp 8 dead
66 recovered
13th= 5/277
32 Hosp 8 dead
85 Recovered
14th = 8/285
32 Hosp 9 dead
98 Recovered
15th= 8/293
34 Hosp 9 dead
106 Recovered
16th= 7/300
35 hosp 9 dead
110 recovered
17th=  9/309
36 hosp 9 dead
128 recovered
18th =  5/315
36 hos 9 dead
147 Recovered
19th= 4/319
36 hos 9 dead
153Recovered
20th 2/321
36 hos 9 dead
161 recovered
21st 8/329
36 hos 9 dead
168 recovered
22nd  6/335
36 hos  dead
196recovered
23nd  2/337
36 hos  dead
209recovered
24th  2/339
36 hos  dead
208recovered (-1 from 4/23)
25th  0/339
36 hos  dead
217recovered
26th  2/341
36 hos  dead
217recovered
27th  4/345
37 hos  dead
218recovered
28th  6/351
37 hos  dead
228 recovered
29th  4/355
36 hos  dead
240recovered
30th  0/355
36 hos  dead
252recovered



May 2020



1st  9/364
36 hos  dead
254recovered
2nd  1/365
36 hos  dead
261recovered




State Charts




I've been making these screen shots high resolution so you can click on them to enlarge and focus.  But click here if you want to use the chart interactively, to play with the original and other charts they have.





My Day-By-Day Chart