since my first bananas of summer

Last week, I was texting with the ex about the data coming from the CDC about the COVID and bemoaning the fact that things were not improving.
Tonight, I have a ticket to my third baseball game of the summer -
yes, only my third -
and I though a good hard look at numbers was due.
It's been nearly a month since my I attended my first Bananas of the pandemic.
What a marvelous game that was, complete with grand slam!
(smile!)
Tonight's game, like that I attended on the 19th, will also have Blowfish.
That's good... I like those boys of summer, continuing to give their heart to baseball, even in front of empty stadiums at home.
That's right.
In this Division, the Savannah Bananas are the only team playing with butts in the seats.
Macon Bacon, Macon Eggs, Lexington County Blowfish, Catawba Valley Stars - those guys are playing home games to imaginary crowds, with only crickets in the stands.
True story, and a bit sad... but very mindful of "safety first" for their fans.
And so, as I await the start of the opening of Grayson Stadium, I thought it would be good to look at the data, to reinforce the need for my congregation of alligators.
Like my face covering, I don't leave home without them.
(smile)

This data was collected from 13 July to 7 August.
This graph has the rates, i.e., the number of SARS-CoV-2 infected people per 100,000 in the general population, for all ten of the states I'm following.
Up, up, and away they all go, like helium-filled balloons!
Ah, but not quite all, my dears.
Michigan and Pennsylvania continue to be fairly flat and nearly identical.

So, since Alabama and Tennessee are also still tracking closely to Georgia, why not clear off the copycats?
Oh, yes, much easier now to see the absolutely absurd numbers posted by Florida and Georgia!
In those two states, two people of every hundred, or more, have had, or currently have, COVID-19 from becoming infected by this novel coronavirus.
In fact, the rate for Florida is nearly twice that of California!
But there's Michigan, its dark green steadiness showing that the virus can be tamed, holding almost firm at less than 1 in 100 of its people being threatened.
Way to go, midwesterners, and same to you, home of the Steelers!
Let's hope poor Oklahoma will manage to recover, but it certainly doesn't look good.

What can be concluded from the 7-day sums for these ten states over that not-quite 30-day span?
Well, the good news is CA and FL, both homes of Mickey Mouse, are doing something right, as their numbers of new infections have fallen since July 24th.
Texas was following suit, but jumped back up.
Kindly hold the applause, though.
All three have still had more than 50,000 new cases per week for over a month.

That works out to a steady case load for medical staff of almost at least 8,000 NEW patients per day for that time frame.
No wonder the doctors and nurses are burning out, with no relief coming any time soon.
What about Georgia?
That dark blue line looks fairly constant, right?
Sure it is... at more than 20,000 newly infected people per week for almost a month.
That means our medical personnel have had to deal with more than 4,000 new COVID patients per day... for a month and counting.
And guess what happened this week?
School started.
I have been looking at photos all week on facebook of my great-nieces and great-nephews heading off to class, face covering in place... until snack time and lunch time roll around.
Of course I've started my two weeks from now clock to track any future extra upswing in number of cases, hoping there won't be.
That said, there have already been youth sports programs curtailed by infection.
So, there's that.
Michigan, what's going on there?
That dark green line is holding steady, too, but its numbers of newly infected are one-fifth that of Georgia's.
Yeah, that's right: one-fifth.
I said it before and I say it again:
Michigan is definitely doing something right, and Georgia is not.
As for Oklahoma, their numbers of new infections was on an upward ramp, but they have managed to stabilize it and bring it back down.
Let's hope they continue on that track.
I'd be willing to wager there won't be anymore political rallies there.
Well, at least not for a year or so.

Lest anyone get the idea that the United States is alone in this quest for madness, there is much evidence to the contrary.
Plenty of other countries have populations that disregard medical science and go in search of higher numbers of infection than they had during their first bouts with this pandemic.
Iran, Israel, Japan, and Australia were all in that game last month, but Peru and Saudi Arabia are in now.
Proof positive that wild donkeys exist worldwide.

Now, time for me to do something in the sunshine!
Until next time, stay safe...
and keep those alligators close to hand.