California: Covid-19 affects Latinos most, in both cases and deaths

California: Covid-19 affects Latinos most, in both cases and deaths

Tatiana Prophet
Covid-19

By TATIANA PROPHET

In California, Latinos are the only group that has experienced both more Covid deaths and more Covid-19 positive cases than their percentage of the population.

Like Hispanics, blacks in California show more deaths relative to their population (9 percent of total Covid deaths), but a lower number of positive cases (4 percent of the total). With Hispanics making up 39 percent of the state’s population, and 45 percent of Covid deaths, the numbers are significant. Blacks are 6 percent of California’s population but show 4 percent of all Covid cases and 9 percent of all deaths. Asian, whites and blacks all tested positive in a proportion that is less than their percentage of the general population (see charts).

California's death and infection rate low despite huge spike in testing

California's death and infection rate low despite huge spike in testing

Tatiana Prophet
Privacy, Covid-19

California has tested 5 million specimens for Covid-19. During the entire month of June, the state went from above 50,000 tests per day to well over 100,000 tests per day. Yet infection rates and death rates remain flat.

Tests in California more than doubled between June 1 and July 7, from about 2 million to 5 million. And cases roughly tripled. But the death rate remains between 1% and 2%, while the infection rate is relatively flat between 5% and 11%.

Los Angeles has one third of California's Covid hospitalizations: how bad is it?

Los Angeles has one third of California's Covid hospitalizations: how bad is it?

Tatiana Prophet

Cases in Los Angeles County rose to 2,004 on Monday, with daily hospital counts reaching 1,334, but still lower than a recent peak of 1,453 in late May.

Confirmed Covid-19 patients in L.A. intensive care units went down Monday to 527 patients, the lowest ICU count in about 2 weeks since it was as total of 403 in mid-June. ICU patient populations are relatively flat compared with a small but steady rise in L.A. general hospitalizations for Covid-19.

VIEW CALIFORNIA'S RAW HOSPITAL NUMBERS

VIEW CALIFORNIA'S RAW HOSPITAL NUMBERS

Tatiana Prophet
Health

The number of laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 hospital patients is less than 6,000. This number is rising, but the number of suspected Covid-19 hospital patients is falling slightly. This would explain a rise in cases, since more testing is being conducted. As of July 3, 2020, the number of ICU beds available is only slightly lower than the number of general Covid-19 patients, and far exceeds the number of Covid-19 patients in the ICU.
However, these numbers are statewide; hospital beds may be getting close to maximum in counties with the most cases, such as Los Angeles. Stay tuned for L.A. numbers soon.

Animated graph: Yes, Covid-19 deaths are still going down in the United States

Animated graph: Yes, Covid-19 deaths are still going down in the United States

Tatiana Prophet
Health

UPDATE: As of July 4, daily Covid-19 deaths in the United States fell to above the average daily deaths from influenza/pneumonia and below those for diabetes.

Daily Covid-19 deaths for the United States peaked at 2,683 per day on April 21, 2020. View this chart to see the progression of daily deaths compared with the top 15 causes of death, and those average daily deaths from the year 2017.

The graphs that show a huge uptick in cases should be labeled “known cases,” as they represent those that were tested. Tests have been rising int he United States for the last few weeks, resulting in a precipitous rise in cases, many in the 18-49 range. But the death rate for this age group is quite low. Most of the Covid-19 deaths, while tragic, remain above age 80, and involve pre-existing conditions. The anomalies — no preexisting conditions or young people, remain in the hundreds for the entire nation. This is compared with the 120,000-plus deaths now recorded.

Yale epidemiologist says evidence shows HCQ safe for Covid 'standard of care'

Yale epidemiologist says evidence shows HCQ safe for Covid 'standard of care'

Tatiana Prophet
Health

By TATIANA PROPHET

A professor of epidemiology at the Yale University School of Medicine has reviewed all 16 studies of anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, and not only does he state that it will save thousands of lives threatened by Covid-19, but recommends it be used — with screening — as soon as possible to treat the disease.

In a passionate, at times pithy manuscript, Dr. Harvey A. Risch showed how the studies showing no benefit of hydroxychloroquine were looking at the wrong stage of the disease and evaluating an unnecessarily high dosage. He called one study “a fishing expedition” and another “deeply flawed.”

Dr. Risch, a cancer researcher as well as epidemiologist, concluded that “all available evidence” points to the general safety of the drug in combination with an antibiotic and “preferably zinc,” thus recommending it to become the standard of care.

When all other physicians have been silenced, including Dr. Oz, either being censored or walking back their enthusiasm for hydroxychloroquine, why is Dr. Risch one of the few voices still offering a full-throated recommendation of this drug, touted in March by President Trump as a game changer? Evidence. The studies that have been highly publicized, including the VA Hospital study and the Lancet, involved hospitalized patients, he said.

Covid-19: Randomized trials well under way for hydroxychloroquine and remdesivir

Covid-19: Randomized trials well under way for hydroxychloroquine and remdesivir

Tatiana Prophet
Health

NYU Langone began trial April 1
South Dakota announced study April 13
Both will involve 2,000 patients
With a controlled placebo

Photo: The Sanford USD Medical Center, a sprawling complex in Sioux Falls.

By Tatiana Prophet

SIOUX FALLS — Gov. Kristy Noem announced Monday that the state was “going on the offense” and would be partnering with Sanford Health in a randomized, placebo-controlled study of the effectiveness of anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine. Doctors have been using the drug across the country on a compassionate basis while the FDA weighs approval.

Media have no interest in the women of color exonerated by Trump

Media have no interest in the women of color exonerated by Trump

Tatiana Prophet
Media Critique

By TATIANA PROPHET

Chelsea Handler tweeted on Tuesday something about how Trump pardoned people of a certain color.

Then Twitter schooled her.

Handler tweeted: “While our president exonerates criminals and releases them from jail, notice what color they all are.”

Maybe Handler was confused because mainstream media has written very little about the four women of color who received clemency from President Donald Trump on Tuesday. TMZ and Newsmax wrote about Angela Stanton, who received a full pardon after serving a home confinement sentence in 2007 for involvement in a stolen-vehicle ring. She was also a cast member on Real Housewives of Atlanta (a really good version of that reality franchise). Tynice Hall was 19 when she “turned a blind eye” to her live-in boyfriend’s drug deal at her home.

By the Numbers: Family Separation at the Border

By the Numbers: Family Separation at the Border

Tatiana Prophet
Immigration

Number of children separated as a result of a zero tolerance policy for those who ask for asylum after entering NOT at an official port of entry:

2,551

Number of children reunited with their parents who had been in custody:

1,440

Number of children released to parents, family members or sponsors already in the U.S. or turned 18 while in custody:

380

Protect your info

Protect your info

Tatiana Prophet
Privacy

How to quickly find out which apps are using your user info, and shut it down

By TATIANA PROPHET

I have been sharing Facebook info – real info like photos and birthdate – with 98 digital applications, and I had no idea. That my birthdate was being shared with app developers was especially annoying; on my Facebook “proper” privacy settings, my birthdate is visible only to me. Yet there are 98 apps, including Five-Star Slots, Ancestry and Flixster, that have access to my birthdate, my work history, my political persuasion and my photos.

Do you know where your data is? I thought I knew. But since I joined Facebook 10 years ago, the places I consented to leave my data have now faded as quickly as where I went for lunch last week.

Jobs report: 'total' winners and losers

Jobs report: 'total' winners and losers

Tatiana Prophet
Economy

By TATIANA PROPHET

Aside from the obviously soaring stock market, Is the economy white hot?

When it comes to total jobs added, in his last year in office, Obama beat Trump in his first year in office -- by a slim margin -- at 2.2 million total payroll jobs added versus 2.1 million in 2017.

When it comes to growth in Gross Domestic Product, Trump's economy beats Obama's.

Clearly something is going on in manufacturing. Under Trump, the economy added 196,000 manufacturing jobs in 2017, while it lost 16,000 jobs in 2016.

Peter Jackson: Weinstein blacklisted Ashley Judd & Mira Sorvino

Peter Jackson: Weinstein blacklisted Ashley Judd & Mira Sorvino

Tatiana Prophet
Sex Crimes

By TATIANA PROPHET

Mira Sorvino won the Oscar-opening Best Supporting Actress award in 1995 for Woody Allen's "Mighty Aphrodite." She went on to star in such memorable films as "Lulu on the Bridge" and "Too Tired to Die." But she wasn't suffering from the legendary curse of the Best Supporting Actress; it turns out she was probably just suffering from crossing paths with Harvey Weinstein.

Pirate's treasure: Apple and other companies are about to bring their loot home

Pirate's treasure: Apple and other companies are about to bring their loot home

Tatiana Prophet
Economy



U.S. corporations have kept money earned overseas outside of the country for decades, to avoid paying taxes twice: once to the country where they earned the revenue, and once to the country they call home.

As of April 2017, the total was an unprecedented amount: $2.6 trillion, with a T. That's also T for Tim, Tim Cook. The CEO of Apple, Inc, the largest holder of cash, has acknowledged the company is keeping $231 billion in cash overseas to avoid paying the 35 percent corporate tax rate.

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