<p>The Martha’s Vineyard Hospital reported one new confirmed coronavirus case Thursday morning, bringing the total number of confirmed cases on the Vineyard to 16. The state reported the most new cases yet.
The Martha’s Vineyard Hospital reported one new confirmed coronavirus case Thursday morning, bringing the total number of confirmed cases on the Vineyard to 16.
After several days of declining numbers, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported 3,079 new confirmed cases statewide, the largest single-day increase since the pandemic began.
On the Vineyard, a total of 311 tests have been done, with 16 positives, 292 negatives and three tests pending, according to the hospital's website.
Data supplied later in the day by the Boards of Health indicated that the sixteenth patient is a man in his sixties. To date, there are seven men and nine women in the group of confirmed cases, broken down by age groups as follows: one under 20, two in the 20-29 age group, two in the 30-39 age group, seven in the 50-59 group and four in the 60-69 age group.
No one is currently hospitalized here with the virus.
As they prepare for a possible surge in Covid-19 cases, hospital leaders announced early this week that they would no longer accept maternity patients seeking to transfer their care to the Island.
As of Thursday, more than 46,000 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Massachusetts since the outbreak began out of the more than 195,000 who have been tested. A total of 2,360 people have died, up 178 from the day before.
Comments
I know of several people
Carolyn O'Daly EdgartownI know of several people (youngish) who were diagnosed with pneumonia in February. Shouldn't they be tested for antibodies?
Do we have an antibodies test
Felicia ChilmarkDo we have an antibodies test on island?
Antibody testing is great,
Bulkington EdgartownAntibody testing is great, but we need to keep in mind that the presence of antibodies does not necessarily equate to acquired immunity. We just do not know. No one does. We are struggling day and night to answer this question: Does the SARS COVID-19 lead to the development of memory T, memory B, and plasma cells? This is the $64,0000 question. Acquired immunity is contingent on these cells. Not every viral exposure will lead to their production, as in influenza A and B. It would be nifty if we could only get influenza A or B just once. If antibody transcription did result in memory cells leaving the lymph nodes, how long would the memory last? (As in shingles resulting from a dormant herpes virus.)I know this sounds so terribly nerdy, and, it is. Now, maybe more than ever, facts matter. They really, really, matter. Facts can make the difference between life and death.
Thank you for your comment.
Jane Norton ChilmarkThank you for your comment. Most people aren't well-informed on the complexities of developing pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and serums. I hope those researching these get the support they need to figure this out.
bulkington, i agree.
anniebulkington, i agree. unfortunately, i understand that the WHO states that there is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from Covid-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection. seems to me there are a lot of unknowns.
Climbing? Seriously we should
facts not fiction edgClimbing? Seriously we should be thanking our selectmen for their actions which have tamped down a potential outbreak here. Look at the maps all over the USA and we are very fortunate. Keep it that way. stay home
All the time out of work,
small island contractor VHAll the time out of work, money lost and isolating to date is about to be undermined by prematurely removing the construction moratorium to soon. Massachusetts is on fire with the virus right now with the third most confirmed cases in the country and 2,360 deaths > https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html Removing the moratorium will only incentivize day workers and second home owners to start pouring in, then its all down hill from there. Four weeks later or sooner after that and we will be right back where we started but much worse off. Buckle up people, it’s going to be a long painful ride!
Quote of the day
“ As several states — including South Carolina, Tennessee and Florida — rush to reopen businesses, the sudden relaxation of restrictions will supply new targets for the coronavirus that has kept the United States largely closed down, according to experts, math models and the basic rules that govern infectious diseases.
“The math is unfortunately pretty simple. It’s not a matter of whether infections will increase but by how much,” said Jeffrey Shaman, a leading epidemiologist at Columbia University.
Closing America was hard. But it came with one simple instruction: Everyone stay at home.
There are no easy answers for the phase that comes next, especially with a continued lack of testing, contact tracing and detailed guidance from federal health agencies, disease experts said. Instead, every state will conduct its own improvised experiment with thousands of lives in the balance.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/04/22/reopening-america-stat…
We are doing very, very well.
Al Reis EdgartownWe are doing very, very well. Of those who got tested, 95% came back negative. Even if 100% had tested negative, that still would have meant 98% of the island wasn't infected. Yes, there are issues of lack of testing, but overall the picture is that the island is not being ravaged by corona virus. Let's keep it that way!
Al, how do you figure? We
Hannah VHAl, how do you figure? We have no idea how we're doing. 2% of the population has been tested. 2%! That is not statistically significant, and by no means can we say we are doing well. Yes, only about 5% of the tests have been positive, but of TWO PERCENT of the entire island population. We know almost nothing. We need to test. We need to test as many as possible. Including those who are asymptomatic. We need antibody tests. We need to screen temps at every grocery store, post office, pharmacy etc. And then, and only then can we think about reopening. Parts of our country are opening back up without any real science behind it. And the entire nation will pay for it.
Great job everyone...,stay
Brian Vineyard HavenGreat job everyone...,stay home ... stay safe....has anyone given thought how we are going to handle the summer season?
I was wondering the same
Trish EdgartownI was wondering the same thing? Will the island be ready to handle visitors this summer? Do we want visitors who could be carrying the virus coming to vacation? Will the restaurants be able to be fully open to feed visitors?
From an article in today’s
Yitzhak West TisburyFrom an article in today’s Gazette I quote, “Cuttyhunk’s decision to delay opening the harbor is designed to protect the island community from outside infection, Mr. Isabel said.” (He is the Harbormaster in Cuttyhunk)
“I hate to tell people they can’t come in, but all it takes is one innocent person that doesn’t know they’re infected,” he said.“
We on the Vineyard should take our lead from them!
Suggestions:
1. Take temperatures of all passengers
boarding the ferry
2. No day laborers of any kind allowed on ferry to work on the Island or to join Island crews
3. Fast response Testing of all passengers as soon as it’s available
If we don’t take control of this situation the virus will take control of us.
#1 is pointless. Recent
JaredN Chappy#1 is pointless. Recent testing of homeless in Boston found that out of 400 tested, 146 tested positive but were asymptomatic. You can have COVID-19 and spread it to others while not having a fever or other symptoms. So testing ferry passengers for a fever is simply pointless. You would just make using the ferry that much more difficult and increase potential exposure for the staff taking people's temperatures.
I sat standby yesterday to go
Kindur Oak BluffsI sat standby yesterday to go off island. I watched truck after truck of workers, deliveries and construction equipment drive off the boat onto MV. I thought we shut down construction? They all can't be going to work on the local police people's homes either(drive around it's almost funny). Monday will be a sh*t show.
I think you left some
Panic HeadlineI think you left some important data out of your article...yes it was a the largest single day increase...but you neglect the fact that it was the largest single day of testing we have had...so it was actually the lowest percentage of positive tests since the end of March. Study after study is finding way more people have had this virus than any "expert" thought was the case..up to 50-80x. Seems like an agenda driven headline to me...
Add new comment