COVID and CURLING

     From Worldometer (new  COVID-19 deaths yesterday):

          DAY  USA  WORLD    Brazil    India    South Africa

June     9     1093     4732         1185        246       82

July    22      1205     7128         1293      1120     572

Aug    12      1504     6556        1242        835     130

Sept     9      1208      6222       1136       1168       82

Oct     21      1225      6849         571        703       85

Nov    25       2304    12025        620        518      118

Dec    30       3880    14748       1224       299      465

Jan     14       4142    15512       1151       189      712

Feb      3       4005    14265       1209       107      398

Mar     2        1989     9490        1726       110      194

April   6         906     11787         4211       631       37

May    4         853     13667        3025      3786      59 

June   1         287    10637         2346      3205      95

 July   7          251      8440        1595        817     411

Aug    4          656    10120        1118         532     423 

Sept  22       2228      9326          839        279     124

Oct    6         2102      8255          543        315       59

Nov   3         1436      7830         186         458       23

Dec    1        1633      8475          266        477       28

Jan    7         2025      6729         148        285      140

       14          2303      7872         238        430      128

       21          2777      9091         396        489      103

       26          3143   10,554         606        575        94

       27          2689   10,261         662        627        71

       28          2732   10,516         779        862      133

Feb  2           2990   12,012         946        991      175

        9           2785   11,827         1295      1241      213

      10           2465   11,110           922        659     203

Summary:  Well, each got better.  But that doesn't say much.

From the New York Times this morning, the current hotspots (darker the worse):

• Seven day average new cases/day per million, with the second column being change from 14 days ago:
• #1  Denmark  7590  -1%
• #2  Palau  7380,  +14%
• #3  Netherlands  6770,  +102%
• France  2640,  -51%
• Germany  2310,  +38%
• Jordan  1950,  +125%
• Singapore  1830,  +106%
• Kiribati, 1610,  +818%
• Russia,  1220, +167%
• Brunei,  920,  +1165%
• South Korea  840, +310%
• Belarus  790,  302% (where war conditions with Ukraine are imminent)
• Japan  740,  +60%
• Hawaii  637, -70%
• USA  620, -65%
• Iran  430,  +332%
• Mexico  180,  -42%
• Indonesia  90, +424%
• New Zealand  60, +245%
• South Africa  50, -13%
• Hong Kong  40,  +280%
• Afghanistan  20,  +178%
• Myanmar  10,  +432%
• China  low,  +14%
• Antarctica  0, ----

Regarding the World:

• Number of new cases 
• On 10February2022 was 2.7 million.
• Omicron peaked at 3.6 million on 28January2022.
• The previous peak was 0.9 million on 22April2021.
• Number of new deaths
• On 10February2022 was 11,697, but seems to be peaking.
• However, the highest ever was 17,345 on 17January2021, more than a year ago.

Conclusion:  Unless some new variant shocks the world, this COVID-19 pandemic is clearly on the decline.

• The highest one-day death total was 17,345 on 17January2021, which has dropped to 11,697.
• The highest one-day new cases number was 3.6 million on 28January2022, but has dropped to 2.7 million.
• Total COVID-19 cases (this is a select list, but some countries like India are grossly under reporting):
• #1  USA  77,357,504
• #2  India  42,536,137
• #3 Brazil  27,135,550
• Russia  13,323,972
• Japan  3,675,865
• China  124,300
• Taiwan  19,376
• New Zealand  19,315
• The all-time high new cases/million population (this is a select list):
• Andorra  480,590
• Denmark  377,170
• USA  233,314
• Peru  105,140
• Russia  92,290
• New Zealand  3930
• Taiwan  810
• China  90
• Total deaths (this is a select list):
• #1  USA  914,333
• #2  Brazil  636,338
• #3  India  507,177
• #4  Russia  332,300
• South Africa  96,705
• Japan  19,939
• Israel  9399
• China  4636
• Denmark  4006
• Finland  2141
• Taiwan  851
• Kiribati  1
• Antarctica  0
• Deaths/million population (this is a select list):
• Peru  6328
• Bulgaria  4910
• USA  2760
• Russia  2290
• Japan  160
• Taiwan  40
• China  less than 10
• Percent fully-vaccinated (this is a select list):
• Gibraltor  more than 99%
• UAE  96%
• China  88%
• South Korea  85%
• New Zealand  80%
• Japan  79%
• Taiwan  74%
• USA  64%
• Mexico  61%
• Russia  49%
• Nigeria  2.7%
• Kenya  12%
• Haiti  0.8%

A good but mediocre day for the USA in Beijing:

• No medal, but Mikaela Shiffrin crossed the finish line for the Women's Super-G.
• No medal, but Shaun White did place 4th in snowboarding.
• The USA Women's Hockey team fell behind 1-0, but came roaring back to beat the Czech Republic 4-1 to advance.

What to watch today:

• The Men's Hockey team plays Canada.
• Yikes, more curling.
• Large hill ski jumping.
• Not much.

Incidentally, it's called curling because the whole point of the game is to curl the stone (yes, that's the 44 pound roundish piece of granite from Scotland that is pushed and broomed).  The strategy is confoundingly counterintuitive.  The last shot, called the hammer, at the end of each of 10 games, or more, is most important.  There is much camaraderie.  Read this to learn a lot more.

By the way, the U.S. men's curling team won the gold medal four years ago.  Don't expect a repeat, for their odds of winning are +1200, which means, if you bet $1, you will get back $12.00, plus your buck.  Great Britain is favored for the men at +185.  Canada's women look like the best at +200.  The mixed doubles are already over.  Who won?  Who cares.

Have a great weekend.

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