March 21: Today we headed toward Lake Louise and stopped at the Ross Lake trailhead, put on the backcountry skis and went about 45 minutes each way there. We were on a groomed forest service road for part of it, then saw tracks heading off to the left and we followed those.
Today, March 22, after another late start due to mulling coronavirus, we put on the backcountry skis and skied toward Lake Ohara. Because of the late start, and a burgeoning blister, we turned back but got nearly three hours in.
Once home, I learned that Jack McAnulty had close contact, through his choir, with someone who had tested positive; the contact had been ten days prior. He’d been working in the clinic that entire time. So starting today, he’ll be self-quarantining for the next four days. I suggested that he let the younger folks take the shifts, as the data currently available indicates that they do a lot better – the average age at mortality in Italy is 79.5 recently, and many had co-morbidities.
We also heard that New York surpassed Washington State in deaths today, with 114 compared to 95. 96% of the tests done in the state – about 31,000 so far – come back negative. People are comparing the great results in South Korea with those in Italy. It turns out that we are still quite early and though South Korea does well, the system fails in Italy, with mortality rates as high as 10% there.
As we are leaving, we hear that cases in Whatcom County have increased dramatically. Two days ago, there were just three cases associated with this center, but yesterday 29 new cases were confirmed at the Shuksan Healthcare Center, a skilled nursing facility; 23 in residents, and six in healthcare workers. The second patient in Whatcom County to die of COVID-19 had been a resident here; he was in his 80’s and had been discharged on March 10; he had become ill and died on March 20; his test had become positive only the day after he died, March 21. This is a very worrisome development.