Hello Everyone! Welcome to the eighth Family Fridays. I hope you and yours continue to be safe and well. Here’s the latest from Alabama: There are now 11,101 confirmed cases and 473 deaths. That’s an increase from last Thursday evening of 2,055 people who have tested positive, and 104 deaths. It’s the second biggest weekly increase of Covid-19 patients since I started this, and it’s the largest increase of deaths. To put things in perspective, my first Family Fridays post was on March 27, and there were 501 confirmed cases with one death. That’s quite a difference in a relatively short timespan. As just about everything is open now (within state guidelines), except for schools, libraries, movie theaters, and bowling alleys, I’m expecting those numbers to start increasing at a faster rate. Alabama has received a small allotment of Remdesivir, the drug that has shown promise in helping those with moderate to severe cases of Covid-19. It’s not clear how many hospitals have received the therapeutic, but to give you an idea how short in supply this medication is, one hospital received enough doses to treat eight patients, while another can treat only one. This doesn’t do a lot to instill confidence does it? My husband and I are continuing to go on our daily walks, although we’ve been trying to get out by about 7:00 a.m. because it’s starting to get hot here. Our complex has a nice pool, but it’s still closed for right now. We’re thinking it may open in the next couple of weeks, while following state guidelines as to how many people can be there at a given time. I’m really looking forward to using it again because swimming helps me with my health issues more than anything else. So, how are all of you doing?
For this week’s positivity I’d like to share the story of photographer Laura Fuchs who has been taking pictures of New Yorkers flashing their beautiful smiles behind their masks.
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-52593522/coronavirus-the-faces-smiling-behind-the-masks
Margie said:
Kim, thank you for the update on your Family Friday of how things are in Alabama.
It’s good to know how you are doing.
It will be great if the pool at your apt complex opens up soon and you will be able to swim again,
Here in CO, I think we have a little over 20,000 confirmed cases and a little over 1,000 deaths due to COVID-19.
All we do is stay home and go on walks with our dog.
Life is so different now!
Love that photo with the smiling eyes behind the masks! 🙂
Take good care, be well and be safe!
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
I think that’s going to be our life (minus the fur baby) for quite some time Margie.
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Margie said:
Sadly, I agree with you. It’s a good thing I like to take walks and I have lots of books to read, walking and reading are my most favorite pastimes, so, I am not bored ! LOL I hope you are having a good day, Kim. 🙂
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beetleypete said:
Remdesivir trials here have shown some remarkable results with younger and fitter patients. They should expand it dramatically, as sufferers have little to lose. Unfortunately, it cannot be used on kidney patients, and those requiring dialysis, as it can affect the liver and kidneys.
Best wishes, Pete,
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
I didn’t know about the effects on kidneys and livers Pete. This is why they need more than one therapeutic.
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beetleypete said:
The effects are mild, unless you have existing conditions in those organs.
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fragglerocking said:
Love the smiley faces, glad you are doing ok 😘
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Thanks Fraggle. Have you done any of your updates the last couple of weeks? I haven’t been able to find them.
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fragglerocking said:
No but there’ll be a new Corona Chronicles by the end of the weekend. There’s a new post in the anthology though 🙂
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
I just wanted to make sure I hadn’t missed it. You guys okay?
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fragglerocking said:
Yes we are still virus free, fingers xt it stays that way! Thanks Kim. 🙂
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
🤗🤗🤗🤗
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beth said:
i love the photos of the smiling masked faces!
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
They just make you smile!😊
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Brendan Birth said:
Thanks for the update. Your post makes for an interesting juxtaposition with my post…my area experiencing still high (but steadily declining) death rates and cases, but yours experiencing steadily increasing rates in those areas.
The real question is the availability of hospital beds and ICU units in your area. What made staying open unsustainable in New York City back in March (and what makes it still unsustainable even now) is the low availability of hospital and ICU beds, not to mention that we didn’t have adequate ambulances to keep up with the demand. Without the drastic restrictions, doctors would’ve had to choose who to save and who to let die, just like in Italy—a choice nobody should have to make.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
The good news is that we don’t seem in danger of running out of beds, at least not yet.
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Brendan Birth said:
That’s good news. Hopefully, that danger will not come.
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devouringbooks2017 said:
Are you in NYC? I live in Rochester NY and my area is opening today but the last 2 days we had double the cases we had in days prior. Pretty nervous. But at the same time I’m a little stir crazy
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Brendan does live in NYC. You should check out his blog, as he’s been doing updates every Thursday evening (I’ve also been reblogging them).
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Brendan Birth said:
Yes, I am in NYC. I know that Cuomo is evaluating region by region, and some regions definitely seem more ready to open up than others.
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devouringbooks2017 said:
That’s for sure but honestly I feel like my region is opening a little prematurely. We were doing better and now we are kind of sliding back. Thankfully my family is no longer quarantined and we never got sick but my mom works at the hospital. I guess we will see how phase one goes here. I cant imagine being in NYC. It’s been bad enough in Rochester I cant imagine being at the true center of it all.
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johnrieber said:
Terrific, just the Friday smile I needed!
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devouringbooks2017 said:
I live in Rochester NY (upstate NY I’m not near NYC) and my moms a nurse. Things have been… stressful. We were quarantined for a while. But right now our area is opening up as of today. Scary bc the last two days our area had double the cases we’d been having before then. So… I’m nervous. Stay safe! We’re being careful and just trying to keep everyone healthy.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
I’m glad you and your family remain well. I’ve heard parts of NY are beginning to reopen, but I thought one of the guidelines they are falling is that cases must be on the decline for 14 days.
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devouringbooks2017 said:
That’s what I heard so it doesnt make sense to me that we opened today… but I guess maybe the rest of the region is doing better? There are a lot of counties in our region that have hardly been affected but where we live has been hit the worst of our region. I dont know. A lot of people believe we will open just to close again. Just taking it day by day
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Stay safe!
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carhicks said:
I am glad you are doing okay and keeping safe Kim. It is terrible to see those numbers keep rising. My heart goes out to all who are sick, their family members and the frontline workers. I love the concept of the smile behind the mask. I smiled at someone at the grocery store, while wearing my mask and she looked at me weird, I told her that I was smiling behind the mask and she smiled with her eyes. We need to smile more.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Thanks Carla. We forget how much we express with simply our eyes.😊
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hjonasson said:
I had no idea there were so many cases in Alabama! I’m glad you’re staying safe and I think it’s good to take walks outside. I wish people would use more protection there. It’s for their own safety!
Hope your pool opens soon! Good idea with limiting people. Plus, maybe the chlorine helps to deter spreading things? I have no idea, but maybe!
Stay safe!
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Cases here in AL have been slowly but steadily increasing since this whole thing began. I hope things aren’t too bad where you are.
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Jennie said:
Things are very slow to open up here. Restaurant owners are angry. There’s no childcare except for emergency workers. On and on. Hubby and I are lucky to have a pool. It is great for our mental and physical health.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
I can’t even imagine the stress and anxiety you’re all under in MA. I’m glad you and your husband are safe.🤗
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Jennie said:
Thanks, Kim!!
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