May 21 US coronavirus news

Authored by edition.cnn.com and submitted by Midnightblueeyes

As coronavirus cases increase in Alabama, health officials say there is a need for more intensive care unit beds.

“You can [currently] get an ICU bed or an ICU setting, but it is getting tight,” Dr. David Thrasher, a critical care doctor at Montgomery Pulmonary Consultants, told CNN’s Erin Burnett on Thursday. “The numbers have dramatically increased.”

In a news conference Wednesday, Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed said the city’s health care system is “maxed” and if that if you need an ICU bed, “you are in trouble.”

“Last weekend, my partner and I, ran on 140 patients over the weekend,” Thrasher said. “That’s twice the one we normally have. Tonight, our group is grinding on about 132 patients and 110 of those I believe are Covid patients.”

As of Thursday afternoon, Alabama was one of 17 states that had registered an upward trend in average daily cases — a rise of at least 10% — over the previous seven days, according to an analysis of Johns Hopkins University data.

Eiza_Borealis on May 22nd, 2020 at 05:44 UTC »

Casinos in Mississippi opened today, the workers who were excited to go back are now voicing concern because the precautions they were promised by the companies were rescinded - primarily the statement that all guests would be required to wear masks and/or not be allowed to smoke within the casino. I had to turn in my uniform and equipment today and not a single one of my coworkers wanted to be there nor thought it was a good idea to open, and only were because they didn't want to lose unemployment benefits when the casinos inevitably shut down again in a couple of weeks.

I'm in an extreme minority that was able to afford to leave work, at least for a couple of months, without a fear of losing unemployment. All of my coworkers had to go back. I'm worried about all of them because it seems like the higher-ups are not.

forkingandcountry90 on May 22nd, 2020 at 01:58 UTC »

All I hear on my local news is how they are increasing the number of confirmed because they are testing more. Looks at South Korea

NotAnotherEmpire on May 22nd, 2020 at 01:22 UTC »

Very broadly distributed as well. Both between states and inside the states. Texas doesn't have an entire beef plant community infected this time.

This is not going to be easy to control from lifting off.