In my private journal I recorded the statistics as they were reported by Johns Hopkins, as well as personal notes for history. Here follows what I had written.

In 79 days, we went from 1,274 cases, to 1,747,087, and from 31 nationwide deaths to 102,836.) Sobering.

On Wednesday, March 11, 2020 (the first date I began recording)

Over 1,000 infected in the U.S. and 31 deaths (PA has 2 positive cases, 14 presumptive positive; Maryland has 9.)

Thursday, March 12^th

1,274 cases

California  139 (4 deaths)

Connecticut  3

Delaware    1

Florida       26  (2 deaths)

Maryland   12

New York   216

Pennsylvania   15

Washington  373 (30 deaths)

*no reported cases in Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, Maine, Montana, West Virginia

**Veruca’s school closes for next two weeks. Opac vacates dormitory and returns home.

***Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson reported positive while in Australia

 

Thursday, March 19^th

Worldwide            222,642         (9,115 deaths)

U.S.                                9,415

            Maryland             85   (Governor Hogan reports first death yesterday)

            Pennsylvania   133

*Trump refers to coronavirus as the “Chinese Virus.”

**Widespread reports of difficulty obtaining/getting testing.

*** Panic buying and hoarding begin. Toilet paper is unavailable anywhere.

****Governor Tom Wolfe (PA) closes all non-life-sustaining businesses.

 

Saturday, March 21^st

Worldwide                        284,566        (11,686 deaths)

U.S.                                         19,624

                        PA                         268   *59 in Montgomery County

                        MD                        190   *none confirmed in my county

 

*It is believed there may be thousands who are “asymptomatic carriers.”

**There isn’t enough PPE or ventilators to support the number of cases/expected cases.

 

Tuesday, March 24^th

Worldwide                        409,014        (18,245 deaths)

U.S.                                         50,206

                        PA                         851     ( 7 deaths)

                        MD                        349     ( 4 deaths)

 

*The next day, Wed, March 25^th, five children tested positive in Maryland, and the total number of cases in the U.S. went up to 61,167 (an increase of 10,961 cases).

** And Trump suggested getting back to normal by Easter Sunday (April 12^th). He also told Governors they need to be “nice” in order to get help with coronavirus supplies.

*** Overwhelmed hospitals are in desperate need of PPE and ventilators, and patients are dying in the ER waiting for care/treatment.

****On the heels of Mardi Gras, a huge surge in cases in Louisiana is reported.

 

Thursday, March 26^th

Worldwide                        529,093        (23,956 deaths)

U.S.                                         83,507       *U.S. has now surpassed China in # of cases

                        PA                      1,795

                        MD                        583

 

*New York City and surrounding areas now the epicenter of the virus.

**Trump complains about “the woman governor,” and calls for other governors to be “appreciative.” He questions Cuomo’s (NY) request for 30,000 ventilators.

 

Thursday, April 2^nd

Worldwide                        1,014,673     (53,030 deaths)

U.S.                                            245,070

            PA                                      7,268    (90 deaths)

            MD                                     2,331    (36 deaths)

 

Tuesday, April 7^th

Worldwide                        1,414,738     (81,259 deaths)

U.S.                                          387,547    

            PA                                   14,852     (240 deaths)

            MD                                     4,371      (103 deaths)

 

Saturday, April 11^th

Worldwide                        1,704,565     (103,257 deaths)

U.S.                                           501,615

            PA                                   20,408     (449 deaths)

            MD                                    6,968      (171 deaths)

 

*Grocery stores have implemented one-way aisles.

**PA has announced schools will not reopen this year. Maryland has not yet done so.

 

Wednesday, April 15^th

Worldwide                        2,062,485    (136,908 deaths)

U.S.                                            638,111     (30,800 deaths)

            PA                                    26,753     (779 deaths)

            MD                                   10,032    (311 deaths)

 

*Mandatory face covering/mask ordered in my area of Pennsylvania. Maryland will be mandatory on Saturday the 18^th.

*Protests to re-open states are occurring everywhere, with no regard to social distancing and/or masking.

 

Sunday, April 26^th

Worldwide                        2,965,363    (206,265 deaths)

U.S.                                           963,379   

            PA                                    46,616    (1,816 deaths)

            MD                                    18,581   (910 deaths)

 

*Random tidbits: In February, the president called the virus a “Democratic Hoax,” then said virus would “miraculously” disappear, and last Thursday suggested UV light and disinfectants as potential treatments.

**Florida beaches reopen. Georgia’s governor reopens gyms, hair and nail salons, movie theaters, tattoo parlors, and bowling alleys.

***Delaware ban – non-residents are NOT ALLOWED to shop there and/or must self-quarantine for 14 days.

 

Monday, May 5^th

Worldwide                        3,603,217     (252,102 deaths)

U.S.                                       1,180,634     (68,934 deaths)

            PA                                   52,816     (2,838 deaths)

            MD                                  26,408    (1,317 deaths)

 

Wednesday, May 13^th

Worldwide                        4,283,885   (293,157)

U.S.                                        1,370,460    (82,391)

            PA                                     61,310    (3,914)

            MD                                    34,061    (1,756)

 

*In the two weeks that have passed, it snowed in PA and MD, and two White House staffers tested positive for Covid-19.  Trump refuses to wear a mask.

**Antibody testing has become available but lack accuracy and none can verify immunity or risk of becoming re-infected.

***People are losing their minds over having to “stay home” and “wear masks,” protesting in cities – white men with big guns and no masks. The irony of our nation’s double standard is not lost.

****Florida cases have exploded since beaches reopened.

 

Saturday, May 30^th

Worldwide                                    5,952,145     (365,437)

U.S.                                                    1,747,087     (102,836)

            PA                                               74,984     (5,464)

            MD                                              50,988     (2,466)

 

*Governor Hogan reopened Maryland on Friday, May 15^th with “Safer-at-Home” guidelines, and magically – the one-way aisles in the store disappeared overnight. PA has projected reopening of Friday, June 5^th.

**Trump still not wearing a mask and claims to be taking hydroxychloroquine (the once-tauted miracle Covid drug that has since been linked with deaths) prophylactically.

***Thousands mob beaches Memorial Day weekend.

****Still under social distancing rules, hundreds of thousands are protesting in over 27 cities nationwide for several days over the police killing of African-American man, George Floyd (which requires its own post and not meant to appear downplayed here). Many with masks, but still raising concerns during a worldwide pandemic.